John Murray has the final word!!! TECHNOLOGY IN THE CLASSROOM

In today’s society, it’s hard to find a place where technology isn’t present, including the classroom.  From SMART Boards to personal laptops, students have an ever abundant supply of electronics at their fingertips.   But how much is too much? 

High schools and even some middle schools in certain districts have begun to hand out personal laptops for every child, and some districts have even begun giving  i-Pads/i-Pod Touches to every student.  While I agree that technology has huge advantages in the classroom, I think schools are getting a bit carried away. This technology can give immense support fto the teacher, especially in the math/science department, but it may also create an overwhelming number of distractions.   So my question is, where do we draw the line for technology?  Do we allow every student to have access to electronic aids, or do we make those electronic aids a special privilege that is only used once in a blue moon?   Or.....................should we stay away from technology altogether and get back to our roots?  Let's hear from you.  

Katie wants to know if holiday school schedules are driving you crazy?

What is your school’s policy with regard to the celebration of holidays?  I thought of this as I was making all of the schedule changes that I have during this season of Christmas.    These schedule changes are due to the practices required for the Christmas Show that is being held in the school in which I teach.   I wondered if you had to change your schedules at this time of the year for this same reason?  I was also curious as to what the state law was with regard to the celebration of holidays in schools and I did some research on my own.   I found the following from the Cranford, New Jersey policy handbook:  

The Cranford Public Schools will promote meaningful multicultural learning experiences for all students. This includes teaching about various cultures and religious holidays but not celebrating them.

Holidays and special events may be recognized in the district's schools so long as such recognition respects the rights of others and is consistent with law.

 I also found the link for the list of all religious holidays that are recognized by the state.   This list represents the days on which students of various religions are permitted to have an excused absence.  I was wondering what the rulings, celebrations, etc. are for the various school districts in which you are teaching.   Please share your holiday teaching experiences with us.  

The list of religious holidays recognized in the state of New Jersey can be found at this site:  http://www.state.nj.us/education/genfo/holidays1112.htm 

Robert Lenox is looking at the bright side and asking us to do the same>>>>>>>>>>>>>

I think one of the most important challenges about teaching is maintaining a positive attitude.  Everyday it seems there is a new story in the paper or a new bill in the legislature that blames teachers for the ills of society.  Every one of us,  I’m sure,  has that one class that is a bit more rambunctious than the others and you are physically and emotionally drained after trying to get them excited about the content you are teaching.  Everyone has had that experience with parents who, instead of being a team members helping with their child’s educational development, become problem players who see you as a hindrance. 

With all these everyday headaches the best teachers, I believe, can maintain positive energy in their classrooms.  I think as student teachers we have had to face all of these problems, and on top of it, we are not getting paid!!!!!I think,  though,  that every day I have been in the classroom I have tried to celebrate the one positive victory for that day,  even if it was a small one.  So now that were nearing the end of our time I want to hear the little victories everyone in this group has had.   I believe that this will really help to motivate us as we approach our last couple of weeks

The Smart but problematic student................what to do? We are being asked to give suggestions

Early this fall a new student was added to our seventh grade class roster. After hearing terrible stories about him and his behaviors as well as learning about his 2 out- of- school suspensions during the first three weeks of school I was particularly worried.  This particular student is violent, disruptive, and rude.

Despite all of these problems, this student is not classified in any way nor does he have in-class support. His intelligence takes leaps and bounds over any child in the class and  because of his intelligence he is placed in all enriched classes.   He is at the top of every class.  However, he has behaviors that constantly disrupt the class.   For example, he calls out, taps things with a pen, hits (students and teachers), gets up and walks around.   He “gets into people’s faces”  and,  worst of all, he  disrupts every other student in the class. He’s a powder keg and at a moment’s notice he is capable of having a major explosion.  Any amount of confrontation or singling out will cause him to explode. He has already hit a teacher and guidance counselor as well as poked me with a ruler as I walked by his desk.  He is a distraction to other students and their learning but has yet to be removed from our classroom or school because of his high intelligence.

      If you were put in the  situation of teaching this child in this particular class how would you handle him?  What type of tactics would you use to control this students behavior?

As a 7th grade team we have met and come up with strategies such as:

• giving him 5 opportunities to raise his hand and speak,
• putting 3 post-its on his desk 
• removing one every  time he speaks
• asking him to do things around the classroom. 

None of these strategies appear to work and as the days go on he becomes more of a distraction. What recommendations would you make to me as the student teacher and the classroom teacher in order to prevent this disruption?

Charter School pros and cons. Where do you stand? Lorrie poses that question

The New Jersey educational system has been criticized greatly in recent years as being ineffective.  Some reform proponents strongly advocate the creation of charter schools as a panacea for solving all of the perceived problems in the current school system.  Some of the pros and cons are as follows:

Pros

·         Choice.  They introduce alternative places for parents to send their children for education.  They often offer wider varieties of academic programs than do traditional schools.

·         Class size.  They tend to be smaller schools thus they have smaller class sizes and lower teacher- to-student ratios.

·         Less regulation.  Some regulations that public schools must conform to are lessened for charter schools (e.g., no salary caps for administrators, operate independent of district control, standardized testing requirements)

·         Greater accountability.  Charters are usually granted for 3-5 years.  They must reapply to remain open and need to be successful in order to attract students.

Cons

·         Fewer resources. They receive public funding but this funding does not apply to the facility or start-up costs.

·         Less regulation.  The lightening of rules and regulations for charters that public schools must follow could lead to the exclusion of important standards.

·         Inequality. Charter schools may not meet all of the needs of students in the community or local area or may exclude disadvantaged children (e.g., special needs, transportation costs)

I have heard some teachers in my school argue that if charter schools continue to proliferate, the public school system may ultimately become a world of special education students only with all other children farmed out to various charter school environments.  What do you think?  Are you a proponent of charter schools?  Do you think there is room for public and charter schools to co-exist?

Matthew Haines asks about teachers and the law

It has recently come to my attention that one of the teachers in the school in which I am student teaching had been convicted of a DWI. This made me question the idea of offenses and sentences with regard to teachers. My question is if a teacher is convicted of a crime or offense, how should the school deal with the situation? Should others be notified, and if so, who? Should parents be aware of these types of issues? Should the school itself hold the teacher accountable and should there be grounds for dismissal? Should all of these actions depend upon the severity of the offense, and if so, how is that decided upon? I find this to be a very interesting issue, seeing that as future teachers we are prepared to understand the fact we are always under the microscope in the general public's eye. Where should all these lines be drawn so we have a clear indication of who we should be as teachers?

Josh poses a question about teaching outside of certification

There is an increased concern over budgets in school districts around the state.   As a result, schools have slowly down-sized and there is fewer faculty and staff even in the face of increased student enrollment.   Unfortunately, my observation is that teachers are being moved around and forced to teach subjects in which they have little or no experience and, additionally, for which they have no certification. If you were a  first or second year teacher and were asked to teach a class outside of your discipline or certification how would you approach this situation?    What questions would you ask and where would you begin to ask those questions?  

Josh Getka

Lauren has questions with regard to the new antibullying law

There is a new Harassment Intimidation and Bullying (HIB) law that has been recently been enacted in New Jersey.   This new law makes schools responsible for bullying that occurs in schools, but also for any incidents of bullying that happen off school grounds.   Moreover, these off-campus bullying incidents for which schools are now responsible need not take place during school hours.   Do you think this is a reasonable requirement to place on schools?    Or, do you think that this off-campus bullying should be taken care of by parents?     Following is a website with additional information about the new law.    

http://www.njea.org/issues-and-political-action/anti-bullying

Matt asks is ADHD a fictitious problem?

I  don't mean to say there is no such thing as attention deficit disorder, I am not qualified to say that there isn’t such a thing.  I know that there are a great many psychologists and pediatricians who think there is.   But I also realize that this topic is still a matter of great debate.  What I do know, for a fact, is that kids are being routinely medicated.   And it may not be their fault.   Children are being besieged with information and forced to give their attention to a variety of stimuli:   computers, i-phones,  advertisements, hundreds of television channels.   

Are we penalizing our students for getting distracted?  It seems to be that it is not a coincidence that the growth of ADHD has risen in direct proportion to the growth of standardized testing. And what is happening, I believe, is that our young children are being given drugs that shut down their senses.      Why is this happening?   Shouldn’t we be waking them up?   

Now the big question is how do we set about waking them UP?   How do we set about to cultivate divergent thinking skills of our students?  How do we cultivate their ability to see lots of possible answers to questions that are being posed?    Divergent thinking requires that our students thin laterally rather than in a linear fashion. 

Students need to be encourage to answer more abstract questions and to see the multiple answers that exist in the more  sophisticated questions posed by the teacher.   In essence,   we need to encourage students to think at higher levels of Bloom’s Taxonomy Ca they do this if we are prescribing “calm-down” medicine?     My question is this………….in an era of ADHD how do we educate our students so that they can benefit from and hone their divergent thinking skills?   How do we keep our students involved and learning interactive while at the same time covering the prescribed curriculum and preparing them for standardized tests?   

Are teachers effective if students scores improve or are kids just "smart?" Lisa asks the question.

The NJDOE’s Excellent Educators for New Jersey pilot program has taken off, with 11 school districts helping to shape this new system of teacher evaluations. Its core principles include:

Evaluations based equally on both learning outcomes (including, but not limited to, standardized test scores) and effective practices (classroom performance)

Replacement of the “satisfactory/unsatisfactory” ratings with a four-tiered scale of “ineffective,” “partially effective,” “effective,” and “highly effective.”

Criteria favoring student progress rather than absolute performance for our highest-need students.

While I do believe that this program’s parameters are more meaningful, I think NJ can do better for its teachers and its students. I remain unconvinced that standardized test scores have any place in teacher evaluations. Generally speaking, the schools with the students who score in the highest percentages, advanced proficient and proficient scores, do not necessarily house the most “highly effective” teachers.  It is generally true, however, that schools in which students score in the higher ranges on standardized tests, are located in districts in which there is a higher socio-economic class.  These students usually produce higher scores on standardized tests.  We could address this “class” issue by emphasizing individual progress, and giving students grade-level entrance and exit assessments for evidence of significant learning and skillful teaching. Such evaluations would indicate the amount of individual learning that has taken place that year -for each student, with his/her assigned teacher - measuring student and teacher progress from September to June.

What are some other suggestions for finding out if teachers are teaching and students are learning?

Mary looks to us for a solution to a real life problem

As a first year teacher, we may find ourselves working in a situation that offers  many challenges.   Many of these challenges put us into professional dilemmas and we find that we are doing things that are counter to what we have been taught are “best educational practices.”   Following is what I believe to be a good example of such a perplexing situation:  

Ms. Smith is a new teacher who has been assigned one of two 5^th grade homeroom classes.  Students in the other 5^th grade homeroom are being taught by a long term sub.   The long term sub will be in her assigned classroom until November.  She is filling in for a teacher on maternity leave. 

A few weeks before school opens, the administration decides  that 6 students who had been in a self-contained special education classroom will now be mainstreamed. These 6 students, along with some new students, bring the fifth grade class enrollments up to 29 students in one homeroom and 28 in another. The principal decides to try a new teaching model for these two fifth grade classes.   She  adds a language arts specialist and a math specialist to assist the two fifth grade teachers in the classrooms, but in those subjects (math and language arts) only. In addition to the newly “mainstreamed “ students, Ms. Smith has several students with IEPs.   These students require “pull out” instruction in math and language arts.  With the specialists in these classes, the pull out schedule is no longer being followed. 

Several parents of the students with IEPs are upset.   Parents of more advanced students are complaining that their children are bored.    Other parents are telling the principal that their children are complaining about the noise in the room as well as the behavior of many of the students. The principal insists that her model will work.  Nevertheless,  parents are complaining loudly and are criticizing Ms. Smith, the newly hired fifth grade teacher.  

How would you tackle this situation?  Is there any way that Ms. Smith can improve the situation and meet the needs of all her very diverse learners?

Are you having difficulty with classroom management? Vincent has a recommendation.

In my opinion one of the hardest things about being a teacher is the challenge of proper classroom management.  It is a skill that seems to be developed and acquired from years of experience. However, even the best of teachers  has days where the students are just completely out of control.  Sometimes there are environmental factors that can lead to an unruly class, for example:   hot days, crowded classrooms  and noise from building construction.  All of these will almost guaranty that students will become distracted.  Should the education department at Caldwell College offer a course in classroom management?

Please discuss...

Dave asks..........How do we fix tenure?

How Do We Fix Tenure?

            A hot topic of discussion in the news, political coliseum, and faculty rooms across the country is the concept of tenure. The term is often misunderstood by politicians, parents, and interest groups. Many think it is a way to protect incompetent educators.  However, I suggest that it is fair a system of hiring and firing.

            In an article entitled “Now Is The Time To Redefine Teacher Tenure” by Gary M. Chesley, tenure is stripped down and reformatted. Chesley first discusses the history of tenure up to present and how it has protected teachers from malicious intent of school boards, administrators, and politicians. He mentions several changes to clarify and improve the idea of tenure. These changes include executing three units of instruction over three years of employment, namely:  writing three unit assessments, developing and executing an annual student management plan, receiving a minimum of three classroom evaluations, achieving student academic growth in specific skills, and keeping documented contributions that not only help themselves, but the school.  After these requirements have been met, a tenure panel would review the information submitted by the teacher and decide whether or not to grant the teacher tenure. This would not only help teachers, but principals and often demonized unions (Chelsey, Gary 44-35). 

            I agree with the author. Tenure should be reformatted. However, I feel there can be even more improvements made. Previously in class, we discussed how teachers should be paid. I believe that tenure should include a possible appraisal or denial of monetary gain. If the teacher meets a percentage of the requirements listed above then pay, based on a configured pay scale, will increase.  Probation of teachers and protection of teachers should also be reconfigured.

            Currently, there is a probationary period of three years before a teacher is allowed tenure. This, I believe,  can also be adjusted.  Midway through the third year of the probationary period, the teacher should be evaluated by the appropriate administrator.  Then, a meeting should take place.  At this meeting, the evaluator should present the teacher with a specific improvement plan.  If the teacher meets the requirements of that plan, he or she will receive tenure. 

            However, if the teacher does not meet the requirements, then the teacher will remain at the same pay level for the following year and not be allowed tenure in the fourth year.  Midway through the fourth year, the evaluation process will be repeated.  If the teacher still has not met the improvement plan recommendations then he/she will be terminated at the end of the fourth year.  What is your opinion?   Do you feel that tenure needs to be restructured and reconsidered?   Let me hear!

Would higher paid teachers result in smarter students? Jennifer poses the question.

How do you think the nation’s school system would change if the starting salary for teachers was increased to $60,000 as Arne Duncan recently proposed.   Secretary of Education Duncan proposed the following:

Teachers should be paid a starting salary of $60,000, Duncan said, with the opportunity to make up to $150,000 a year. That's higher than the salaries of most high school principals, who are generally paid much more than teachers.

The median salary among all middle school teachers, for example, not just those starting out in the profession, is around $52,000, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Would paying teachers 2 to 3 times more money mean that students would learn more? We don't know. But smaller raises of 20 percent or less have been ineffective, and one New York City school that embraced much higher pay has so far underperformed on state tests.

Why do you feel the way you do?    Is money the only reason that one enters the teaching profession?   Does money equate to better teachers and better prepared students?