https://padlet.com/ivanaleott/4xpx7uri37mnivg7 1`32w2 en-us 2021-09-11 02:41:59 UTC 2021-12-15 07:38:49 UTC hello@padlet.com https://padlet.net/icons/png/1f431.png ivanaleott https://padlet.com/ivanaleott/4xpx7uri37mnivg7/wish/1732162871 This is a short lecture by Cornell psychologist, Robert J. Sternberg, in which he explains the three aspects of his theory on successful intelligence. 

I found this impactful because it provides a model that discards the traditional entity views of intelligence in favor of a growth mindset that regards intelligence as various complex processes all students possess and utilize. I now understand intelligence not as a fixed thing that you either do or don't have. While Sternberg advocates for a triarchic theory of intelligence, I see intelligence more as a polygram with multiple vertices- demonstrating strengths, places needing development, and connections between different points of intelligence.

As an educator, I will apply this theory by incorporating lessons and activities that highlight the analytical, creative, and practical aspects of intelligence my students already possess. Additionally, I will include coursework that helps my students generate cognitive pathways to build on the aspects of intelligence that they are still developing.  For example, I will incorporate assignments that require creative thinking skills to help students with practical intelligence build on cognitive processes that produce creative intelligence. ]]> 2021-09-11 02:59:23 UTC https://padlet.com/ivanaleott/4xpx7uri37mnivg7/wish/1732162871 ivanaleott https://padlet.com/ivanaleott/4xpx7uri37mnivg7/wish/1733188187 This is a blog post from, EL Education, a curriculum services organization. It covers the basic premise of entry points,  their relationship to Howard Gardner's Theory of Multiple Intelligences, and offers example of how to implement them in lesson planning. 

I enjoyed this post because it provided insights on the various ways educators can provide entry points to help make lessons more engaging and motivating to the diverse intellectual preferences of all students. Additionally, through entry points, educators can challenge students to discover new intelligences they never thought they had. This ensures everyone has an opportunity to learn because they make content more stimulating through a variety of learning methods.

I will ensure to apply this to my classroom by designing lessons and class activities that include the five suggested entry points: narrative, logical-quantitative, foundational, aesthetic, and experimental. These will include stories pertaining to the day's topic, examining graphs and data, debating ethical issues, implementing creative assignments and aesthetic analyses of historically important art, and allowing my students to explore social studies through personal application and role playing.  Through entry points, I will ensure that my students have a variety of stimulating opportunities to engage with my course content and develop metacognitive skills. 

]]> 2021-09-12 04:26:20 UTC https://padlet.com/ivanaleott/4xpx7uri37mnivg7/wish/1733188187 ivanaleott https://padlet.com/ivanaleott/4xpx7uri37mnivg7/wish/1752483480 This is an article published in Standford Magazine. The contents of this piece focus on the what makes an individual, or in this case a student, achieve their full potential. The theoretical lens used in this article draws on the work of psychologist, Carol Dweck, to shed light on the relationship between motivation and achievement.

According to the article,  Dweck's work used attribution theory to explain why some students give up and others keep on trying when faced with failure. Attribution theory is the tendency to explain other people's behaviors through their character traits. This means that students have internalized failures in certain subjects or school in general as a character flaw rather than an opportunity to do better. Carol Dweck took this a step further by formalizing her research on mindsets - the notion that students with a fixed idea of intelligence are more likely to be set back by challenges than students who believe intelligence is gained through trail an error, including multiple failures. 

The ideas of attribution theory and growth mindsets are extremely important to be as a pre-service educator. My goal is to create a learning environment where students can develop skills on their own. Lecturing at students and then testing them on memorization is an archaic pedagogy I want to avoid. In order to help students learn through more engaging models, I will have to help them develop their own sense of growth by scaffolding challenges, teaching metacognitive skills, and allowing students time, room, and encouragement to try again after failure. I will also apply this in my grading system. Rather than provide points to students  on assignments,  I will offer them feedback and give them opportunities to apply it and modify their work. ]]> 2021-09-19 22:59:44 UTC https://padlet.com/ivanaleott/4xpx7uri37mnivg7/wish/1752483480 ivanaleott https://padlet.com/ivanaleott/4xpx7uri37mnivg7/wish/1752750423 This is a blog post on the higher education pedagogical website, Faculty Focus. The writers are two university professors, Shazia Ahmed and Lisa Rosen. Here they emphasize the importance of growth mindset for both student and educator. 

Establishing a critical connection between learning outcomes and believes about learning, Ahmed and Rosen provide practical advice on how educators can instill a growth mindset in their students.  Both professors claim that reviewing the differences between fixed and growth mindsets with students, while presenting them with research and literature on the matter, can create an opportunity for students to consider their believes about their own learning mindsets. Educators can promote a growth mindset through the specific feedback they provide students and ensuring alternative strategies as well as reflections assessments. However, the most important advice that the writers provide is a call for educators to develop a growth mindset for their own pedagogical success. 

I find this important for my teaching because it provides a guide on how to implement a growth mindset in my classroom.  To ensure I play a part in deconstructing the myth of a fixed intelligence, the first lesson of every course will introduce students to materials and research on fixed v. growth mindsets. I will then provide a reflection assignment so that students can identify their own mindset and challenge them to find alternative approaches to learning. This is important to me because it will make my classroom a space that is welcoming of mistakes and learning as opportunities for growth rather than an asset to possess.  I strongly believe that introducing this concept and reinforcing it throughout my course will help "at risk" students feel more confident about their learning and view school as a welcoming environment that encourages their personal development.  Another important lesson that I will take from Ahmed and Rosen's article is the need to continuously work on my own pedagogy. Teaching is not something individuals are either good or bad at. It's a skill that requires development over time and adaptation to new challenges. By attending conferences, reading books on pedagogical research and educational psychology, observing experienced educators, and accepting constructive feedback, I will develop a growth mindset regarding my own teaching skills. ]]> 2021-09-20 02:42:51 UTC https://padlet.com/ivanaleott/4xpx7uri37mnivg7/wish/1752750423 ivanaleott https://padlet.com/ivanaleott/4xpx7uri37mnivg7/wish/1755006232 This is transcript of an interview from Jennifer Gonzalez' Cult of Pedagogy Podcast. In this episode, Jennifer speaks with high school teacher, Thom Gibson, who makes the case for implementing classroom jobs as part enhancing the learning environment. 

Thom Gibson argues that classroom jobs should not be relegated solely as a tool in elementary school, applied in secondary education classrooms for their multiple benefits to student wellbeing. Classroom jobs are important because they provide students with a positive classroom community and culture. The jobs also provide students with the opportunity to explore their own interests and learn how to develop job application skills. 

I found this resource extremely interesting. As  I think about my role in helping students  work through their cognitive and emotional development phases, I find myself attracted to ways to generate a sense of both autonomy and belonging in my classroom experience. According to Gibson classroom jobs don't have to be silly. They can be applicable to things high school students want to do. These include: DJ, Podcaster, Athletic Trainer, Tech Guru, Botanist/Zoologist, Tutorial Creator, etc. These jobs can help my students feel invested in coming into my classroom and participating every day because they play a role in making it a lively space. They will also feel a sense of belonging and connection with their peers through way they choose to perform these jobs. For teenagers, finding methods of self expression, autonomy, and peer validation are very important for growing into a healthy adult. ]]> 2021-09-20 18:33:55 UTC https://padlet.com/ivanaleott/4xpx7uri37mnivg7/wish/1755006232 ivanaleott https://padlet.com/ivanaleott/4xpx7uri37mnivg7/wish/1769247888 This is a video covering the basic components of learning through shaping.  It is a concept influenced by the behaviorist approach to psychology and education. 

The video defines shaping as "successively [reinforcing] behaviors that gradually approximate the target behavior." In other words,  reinforcement of desirable behaviors or skills is done gradually.  It's important that educators return to this concept to help students who are struggling perform well in class and achieve both appropriate behavior and engage with the material. 

As a teacher, one of my goals is to help students develop critical literacy skills. My curriculum will emphasize writing in a variety of formats to form argumentation and engage with primary sources. In order for my students to succeed in my class, I will implement shaping into class activities to help my students gradually develop the writing skills they will need to complete assessments. By using positive reinforcement, constructive feedback, and observing the gradual growth of students in writing skills, I will ensure my curriculum empowers students to produce high quality writing. ]]> 2021-09-26 21:19:30 UTC https://padlet.com/ivanaleott/4xpx7uri37mnivg7/wish/1769247888 ivanaleott https://padlet.com/ivanaleott/4xpx7uri37mnivg7/wish/1769481952 This is an article regarding the constructivist theory of learning. Its psychological implications are detailed as well as its applications as an educational model. 

I found this to be a helpful resource because it emphasizes how education can become a more interactive process for students. Knowledge is socially constructed and its meaning and value is formed through a collective process in the environment the student is learning in. The article emphasizes that every student brings knowledge and personalized experience into the classroom. The most effective method to make learning meaningful is to engage the student in problem solving and construct knowledge through new experiences. 

In my teaching, I will attempt to use the constructivist approach as much as I can. This may difficult at times due to the structure of the education system and external issues I will not be able to control for as a teacher. However, I will implement a constructionist approach to my history and social studies curriculum by building onto what students' already know and guiding students to form questions about the class content, driving their own curiosity. I will also ensure that students have projects and assessments that allows more opportunities to interact with relevant problems that inspire students to engage with evidence and formulate their answers and conclusions. ]]> 2021-09-27 00:46:13 UTC https://padlet.com/ivanaleott/4xpx7uri37mnivg7/wish/1769481952 ivanaleott https://padlet.com/ivanaleott/4xpx7uri37mnivg7/wish/1797727579 This is a list of classroom activities that can be incorporated into a social studies curriculum. The activities revolved around the concept of energizers, which emphasize student mobility and physical engagement with subject matter. 

It is critical for educators to involve play as a facet of learning. Both Jean Piaget and Lev Vygotsky emphasized the importance of play in aiding the social and intellectual development of children. Young

]]> 2021-10-06 20:32:01 UTC https://padlet.com/ivanaleott/4xpx7uri37mnivg7/wish/1797727579 ivanaleott https://padlet.com/ivanaleott/4xpx7uri37mnivg7/wish/1849138027 This is an article written as an advisory piece for new teachers. It was published on Education World - a professional teaching website with curriculum resources and professional development material for educators. 

The article makes the case that the best way to improve classroom management is by fostering individual relationships with students.  Teachers need to purposefully create habits that foster these relationships - such as greeting each student at the beginning of class, getting to know each student as an individual, and consistently demonstrating interest in the lives and wellbeing of students. 

I find this article empowering because it provides a humanistic approach to education. Students are not merely vessels for information and curriculum, but children with dreams, personalities, and struggles. As an educator I will implement the advice provided in this article by greeting my students while I take attendance everyday. Instead of being upset with students that show up late, I will greet them joyfully or leave notes on their desk stating how glad I am they joined class that day. As an educator, I will make an effort to get to know each of my students individually - and foster relationships with students who are "difficult" or pushback by being consistent in my effort to show that I care and want to see them do well not just in my class, but in their lives. This will also help create a welcoming classroom environment where all students will be given a nurturing space to learn and grow. ]]> 2021-10-27 18:23:05 UTC https://padlet.com/ivanaleott/4xpx7uri37mnivg7/wish/1849138027 ivanaleott https://padlet.com/ivanaleott/4xpx7uri37mnivg7/wish/1857350748 This artifact is a list of strategies that can be used for several different scenarios in the classroom. These strategies are tailored towards developing teacher responsiveness. 

Responsiveness is a critical component of not only classroom management, but the learning process. Responsiveness entails the quick decisions teachers make to meet their students' needs.  These can include adaptations to planned instruction, changes to educational models used, shifts in classroom structure, etc. 

In my own teaching, I will implement several of these strategies to ensure my teaching is responsive to where my students are at. This resources is important because it provides several scenarios where students demonstrate difficulty and appropriate responses to them. For example, if students struggle with following directions, as a teacher, I can reduce the number of steps I'm requiring them to follow to ensure clarity. If students struggle drawing conclusions from lectures or materials, I can use parallels from their cultural and local contexts, creating connections they will understand. Overall, I believe that by implementing more responsive methods of teaching, I will ensure that my educational expertise meets students where they are and provides multiple opportunities to learn. ]]> 2021-11-01 00:04:21 UTC https://padlet.com/ivanaleott/4xpx7uri37mnivg7/wish/1857350748 ivanaleott https://padlet.com/ivanaleott/4xpx7uri37mnivg7/wish/1857695139 https://www.thoughtco.com/strategies-for-building-rapport-with-students-3194262

This is a blog post by Derrick Meador writing for the education website ThoughtCo. In this post, Meador offers 30 strategies on how teachers can build and maintain rapport with students. 

Meador emphasizes good educators understand that rapport is something that takes a lot of adaptation and utilizing different methods throughout the school year. The strategies he outlines include incorporating personal stories, using humor, demonstrating enthusiasm for job/content area, talking to students about strengths and weaknesses, listen to students, and engaging in casual conversations between classes. 

These are excellent strategies that I can implement as a teacher. It is too frequent that educators and school personnel forget that their job isn't only to teach and perform their tasks, but to create authentic connections with students. Many of the approaches listed on this post are about humanizing the student by demonstrating that I, as their teacher, care about their lives and their wellbeing. ]]> 2021-11-01 03:04:01 UTC https://padlet.com/ivanaleott/4xpx7uri37mnivg7/wish/1857695139 ivanaleott https://padlet.com/ivanaleott/4xpx7uri37mnivg7/wish/1868233751 This is an digital workbook with activities and lessons for Social and Emotional Learning. The activities in this workbook are geared towards secondary education students. 

The workbook is divided into sections such as Emotions, Social Interactions, Stress Management, etc. These sections provide age-appropriate material on coping with difficult social and emotional situations, building skill sets to manage situations in a healthier way.  The sections are further divided into sub-sections that provide more specific skills such as problem solving, happiness, adaption, etc. 

I found this resource while working Social Emotional Learning framework for my content area standards. This resource is very silly! The graphics and the fonts could definitely use an upgrade. But the SEL activities are sound. What I value about this resource is that it provides a template that I can use and adapt to my own course. As an educator, I can take the time to substitute a pre-assessment or formative assessment with an SEL activity at least once a week. Another method is to combine whatever the lesson is on that day with an emotional learning skill. It's extremely important that I think not only ways to help my students grow academically, but also support them in establishing pro-social behaviors. ]]> 2021-11-04 18:43:34 UTC https://padlet.com/ivanaleott/4xpx7uri37mnivg7/wish/1868233751 ivanaleott https://padlet.com/ivanaleott/4xpx7uri37mnivg7/wish/1889987711 This is an article listing multiple strategies educators can implement to ensure their lessons include scaffolding. It also includes an explanation of the why scaffolding matters and its relationship to Lev Vygotsky's Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD), where learning happens. 

This is a great resources because it provides concrete examples of what educators can do to ensure instruction is tailored to every students' level.  What I find critical in scaffolding is the gradual path towards a learning goal. Students with low reading scores should be given material that scaffolds them to higher reading levels, otherwise they will remain static in their literacy education. 

In my practice, I will make sure that I plan scaffolding into my lessons rather than think about the concept as an abstract idea or something "ideal." The way I will do this is my showing and modeling to students how to do activities and assessments. I'll include the More Knowledgeable Others to ensure that cognitive apprenticeship happens regularly in my classes so that students may use each other's strengths so that learning reaches the the Zone of Proximal Development. Another method I will use is to activate student's prior knowledge by providing prompts and activities that connect the material to their lived experiences. Part of leading to the gradual learning goal is to provide students with enough background that they will succeed in the lesson. To do this I will provide visual aids and pre-teach vocabulary. Finally, I'll make sure that students have time to process the information learned in class by providing them with structured discussions and reflection assessments so that they can take a moment to internalize the experiences they encountered in class. ]]> 2021-11-15 01:49:08 UTC https://padlet.com/ivanaleott/4xpx7uri37mnivg7/wish/1889987711 ivanaleott https://padlet.com/ivanaleott/4xpx7uri37mnivg7/wish/1897007939 This is a blog post outlining multiple ways to implement ice breakers into secondary education classrooms. The ice-breakers are short, but also include the use of creativity, emotional vulnerability, and movement. 

The strategies provided in this blog post emphasize multiple facets of fostering connections between teenagers who might strangers to each other. The strategies are divided into several themes including the Talk It Out section which provides ice-breaker strategies for leading discussions and and helping students open up to others. 

I value this list because it provides strategies that I can use to create a more welcoming and cohesive classroom culture. Implementing models that require collaboration between students is very difficult if the students do not have a sense of connection with their peers. I will use these ice-breakers at the beginning of the year and implement them occasionally throughout the semester to help students feel more at ease with each other. I am a firm believer in assigned seating and in rotating groups, so implementing these strategies will help students not only do well in my classroom, but build social and emotional skills that they can use throughout their lives. ]]> 2021-11-17 14:27:22 UTC https://padlet.com/ivanaleott/4xpx7uri37mnivg7/wish/1897007939