Catching Up Week Six Blog Notice

Since I missed the class on Oct 12th due to sickness, I did not post any in-class or exit slip writing in week six.
I will catch up with what is on my mind with those two questions and post a blog later this week.

Week Eight - Entrance Slip (Embodied Teaching)

My teachable subject is math and I find the content in my subject fall on two extremes - embodied learning can be very useful in some area and can be no use in some area.

For shapes, trignometry and functions, using models and motions in the learning could help student understand and remember more about the content. However, I do not find embodied learning useful when doing numbers, algebra and pre-calculus (especially for secondary level), since these area are more theoretical and difficult to apply to actual objects.

When teaching 3-D measurement, we could use irregular shaped objects and ask students to “measure” them. Since many things in daily life is different from theories - most of them are irregular figures so that formula cannot be applied perfectly and disconnect math and real life. We could teach them different ways to measure objects based on formula and connect math with actual things again.

Although I think it is difficult to apply embodied learning in algebra, I find a good counter example in math history class. Some students have gone through mental arithmetic training and able to calculate rapidly mentally, they move their hands (with the imaginary abaci) and get answers in few seconds. I am not sure weather this could be thought as a kind of embodied practice.

Week Seven - Exit Slip (Inquiry Idea)

I am thinking about two ideas - the first one is about classroom management and how to help students who get bullied, another one is about mental arithmetic and math songs.

The first one might be a big topic and be difficult to do research about, however this concern is useful  for all kinds of classrooms.

The second topic is more concerned about elementary math teaching, while I am in secondary session. I find that students who have gone under mental arithmetic training can react faster towards numbers and hope it could combine with our life and some extreme situation when calculators are not appliable.

Week Seven - Entrance Slip (Grading)

The usage of grading is that it may indicate how much students could understand the course content and if they are good enough to carry on to the higher level. And students who worked hard and had interesting idea of math deserve a good grade. However, many people relates good grade with intelligence, and this is the reason that students who are regarded to be “gifted and clever” are usually be outgoing and quick learners. There are different types of learners and they have their pace of learning, but they would not get good grade if they did not get the answer “correct and fast”, and this force many students who are “deep thinker” and “slow learner” to disorder their pace in order to satisfy teacher’s needs. I doubt that our grading system might be not friendly and appropriate to all students.

My own experience is that as a introverted “deep thinker”, I hardly ever perform on math class and was tagged as no talent in math during middle school but I majored in math in my university (which means I was wrongly tagged). In schools, students who get good grades were in two categories - hard-working students and talented students. Teachers obviously prefer students who were more diligent and obedient to teachers. However, students hate hard-working peers because it is not “cool”, so students often show themselves as not working hard in order to not be hated but tend to study hard outside school for good grades. Also, students think getting good grades without hard work is an evidence of being talented and it is “cool”.

Unfortunately, although I mentioned about many negative aspects of grading system, I could not imagine a math class without being grades. It is like what is being mentioned in the article - we are like hamsters in the rolling cage, and once they get in the “cage”, what they can do is running and it is extremely difficult to get out of the “cage”. However, I hope to stop students from getting into the “prison” that many of us had been at, and tell them math is supposed to be beautiful and fun. Maybe the cage is difficult to be break, but we can change the grading system cage into a park so that students could enjoy and be less anxious about their grades - that is, change the grading system to be more flexible and do not just students based on their grades.

Week Five - Exit Slip (Teaching in Garden)

Similar to what I mentioned in entrance slip, it is easier to understand about math when connected to real world examples. I also noticed that there are many things in nature are connected with math. For example, I mentioned in the class that I found a four-leaf clover in the garden. By comparing with regular three-leaf clover, I notice that four-leaf clover is similar to an order 4 imperfect squared square and three-leaf clover is similar to a equilateral triangle. And if this happens to a math lesson in a garden, it is easier to introduce these two concepts. I have drawn a picture for my example.

Also, the dancing for making the weaving work is interesting. It involves number theory since the work can only be completed with even number of people. By dancing with each other, it may raise the sense of belonging of the class and could help with their studies mentally as well.

However, I do have negative concern about study garden. For example, some students who have vision problem or physically disabled may find this method is unfriendly to them. Also, students may get distracted by plants and other things in the garden and have less motivation to be engaged in the class. It is also not beneficial for students who prefer staying indoor to learn in the garden because they do not like staying outside. The most difficult thing for teachers is that there are “unknown danger” outdoor and if difficult to take care students and their safety (and extremely difficult for teachers in young elementary since students may eat plants and other inedible objects in the garden).

Week Five - Entrance Slip (Teaching in Garden)

In the article, it mentioned advantages of teaching in garden for ELL students and students from other culture. I agree that it is a chance for ELL students get engaged to course content and an opportunity for them to learn English. I also have a concern about how culture are different. In many Asian culture, good children are expected to be quiet, obeying and staying indoor reading books and learning all the time. I suppose this is a reason what Asian people are usually regarded as quiet and nerdy. As one of them, I was shocked when I took my first class in the garden. Since I am too used to staying indoor and do not do exercise, learning outdoor is physically struggling to me. However, having classes in garden may get students concern about doing more exercise and staying healthy. This would encourage students that are like me to get out of the "block" of being a "good Asian student" and get more adapted to Canadian culture.

Another thing I am thinking about is learning in garden can weaken the border of rural education and urban education. Many students who grown up in cities may not have chances to stay in gardens and apply mathematic knowledge. However, students in rural area may be experienced in gardening, and this would be a good chance for them to connect math to their daily life. It would be a good chance for students no matter if they are from urban or rural area to know about how math can be applied to gardening.

Week Four - Exit Slip (Art of Praising and Blaming)

As a teacher, it is important to know "the art of praising and blaming". Although praising students may motivate them more than blaming them, blaming is necessary. 

It is usually better to give positive comment on what students have done. If they do things well, we need to praise their behaviour and what positive effect it brings rather than their identities. When we praise, it is better to tell them that they helped with somethings and thank them. There is also art of blaming them. Blaming students may make them notice their mistake or remind them to improve. Teachers would better tell them if there is anything they can do better while blaming them. Teachers are responsible for leading students to improve and keep them on the right track. Since human could make mistakes and we are all human, teachers need to to tolerance on students mistake and do not blame them all the time.

Week Four - Entrance slip

"Reflection in action is limited to an (inter)active thoughtfulness." I agree with this quote on the first page. Imagine if the class is not motivated and not willing to study, it is difficult for them to reflect on their learning. Similarly, if teachers do not like their job or is not willing to improve, they would not do reflections on their teaching and blame students even if the problem is caused by their inappropriate way of teaching.

"The teacher may reflect or think about all kinds of possibilities but while acting one can only do one thing at a time." A teacher needs to be open to all possible solutions to one question or all possible ways to solve a problem, even if they are only planning to teach one of these methods. This quote can also be known as, a teacher can have their own opinion towards one question but they need to accept all kinds of opinions.

"The aim of critical reflection is to create doubt and critique of ongoing actions." This point is especially important for both learning and teaching. Even if we do "well", we could always do better. Since well is the biggest enemy of better, we should not only satisfied with doing "fine" or "well" and try to do better. And sometimes, doing well and doing better are on different track so that we need to work on another way to become better, and this is why we doubt ourselves.

Week Three - Exit slip (Flipped classroom)

I remember that my first experience of learning by watching videos was in 2003, then Internet was not so widely used. At that time, my hometown was under threat of a kind of fatal virus so that all schools were closed, and students were required to watch a television program with teaching videos in order to learn. However, I do not think watch videos can replace our classroom experience.

Although videos works better for students who prefer studying alone and do not like interacting with others. Teaching videos can be a good supplement for them to improve their learning experience. It is sometimes better to have teachers and students work together in a class, and teachers can make sure that students are on the right track. If videos are assigned and teachers do not repeat anything on the video, some students who missed one or two videos will be left off and lose confidence of learning. Flipped classes may be a good "starter" or "dessert" but it cannot replace the "main course" - our actual classroom teaching.

Week Three - Entrance Slip

Just like the article said, being a good and reflective reacher needs to be openminded and responsible.  In my point of view, it is also important to be both passionate and patient, but it is not easy. Although it might be "well" for teachers to be satisfied and stay where they are, well is the biggest enemy of better. Regarding the fact that we are not sure about how will we affect students in their live, it is important for a teacher to stay curious, keep learning and be reflective. None of us were born to be a good teacher, we all need to learn from others and our own experience.

Being reflective is not only important for teachers, but everyone. People improve their knowledge and reflect on what they have done before so that they could avoid repeating mistakes and make their live more effective. This is not related to job careers but everything in our lives.

"Justification for reflection is not simply a matter of minimal necessity. It is a matter of desirability, not because it is something that we could not do without, but because it transforms and enchanters the quality of what we do and how we live."

Week Two - Exit Slip

As Dr. McCourt said in the video, a teacher should learn when teaching students, otherwise they are not teaching. Being a teacher is another chance to grow up and learn about the world. I remember my mother once told me that since it is her first time bringing up a child, she is also learning and we are growing up together. She is being honest and I do trust her. Similarly, it is important for a teacher to be honest and admit the fact that they have a lot to learn. Sometimes, it is difficult for a teenager to give their fully trust to a adult, showing them willingness to help and learn is a good way to connect with them.

Answers of my questions may depends on what kind of students we meet. When we meet a new group of students, we need to learn a new answer of these questions.

Week Two - Entrance Slip

I am now interested in 3 areas of education.

• Homework

Is giving out homework useful in teaching? How much homework is appropriate? As a student before, I hated teachers assigning too much homework. However, I also had experience that if there is no homework, students will not do any revision and forget what they learnt in class. Maybe assigning homework is necessary, but how much homework do students need in order to remember what they learnt but not too fed up with it.

Also, since there are different types of students - some would prefer obeying rules and finish what is assigned, while some like to create their own works. What kind of homework is appropriate? Could teachers assign different types of homework? Is it possible for students to choose their homework?

Another idea coming up to my mind is "optional homework". Students could freely choose to do and not to do it. If no student choose to do it, is there any way to motivate them to have a try on it?

• Quiz & Exam

Giving out small quiz is a good way to check whether students are doing well. But there are students who gets stressful and could not do well during quizzes while they do perfectly in homework and have excellent classroom performance. Quizzes and exams are not the only way to measure their learning, but what are other ways?

For students who gets panic before exam and have worse preformance than usual, is there any method to overcome their fear?

How could teachers talk with parents about exam result? This problem is especially difficult if parents are "score-based" and regard exam result as the only measure of their children.

(After discussions: assigning project might be another idea to evaluate students.)

• Classroom management issue and bullying

How do teachers tell a student is being bullied in a class? How could we help them? If they are being bullied and try to fight back, but disturbed the whole class, shall they be punished? If a student is bullied by the whole class, which seat shall they seat in the classroom?

Week One - Exit Slip

In the first class, I was impressed by the discussion about six controversial statements. Different from math problems, a statement can be right and wrong depending how we agree or disagree. I learnt that even if we sometimes disagree with a statement, it is necessary to find out why some people agree. It is similar with getting alone with students - we may find them doing things we do not like, but we need to stand in their shoe and get to know why do they be like that. There are also different types of students so that a learning method that works for one of them does not fit others. As teachers, we need to find the way of learning that works best for them, and the process may be difficult. The question coming up to my mind is that how can a teacher get to know their students if some students refuse to communicate or say yes but mean no.

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