Big Ideas by

Student-centered

thehaileyhokenson — 2024-03-30 01:23:24 UTC

My curriculum is student-centered. I design curriculum with my focus being students' academic, social, and emotional development.

Real world application

thehaileyhokenson — 2024-03-30 01:26:35 UTC

I believe that school is a place to prepare students for the real world. This means focusing on relevant, meaningful content for students. Students are not doing busy work or memorizing information for a test.

My passion is literature

thehaileyhokenson — 2024-03-30 01:28:20 UTC

My passion is literature, but I know that a lot of students do not enjoy reading or read below grade level. Reading SparkNotes is often easier than reading the text. It is my duty to first choose relevant, engaging texts for students and to help students build connections with the text.

Graphic novels

thehaileyhokenson — 2024-03-30 01:30:17 UTC

I have been seeing an increase in engagement with reading when students are introduced to graphic novels. I would love to incorporate graphic novels into my curriculum, which helps students develop a visual literacy. I have also seen classic literature adapted into graphic novel format.

Incorporating students' interests and choice

thehaileyhokenson — 2024-03-30 01:32:28 UTC

Building curriculum is not something I do in complete isolation. It is important for students to have choices and a say in what we do in the classroom so that students are included in this learning environment. This starts with getting to know students.

My passion is creating a safe learning environment

thehaileyhokenson — 2024-03-30 01:34:01 UTC

Something important to me is creating a safe, inclusive learning environment for all students. Students come from different backgrounds and need to see themselves within the curriculum and in the classroom. It is vital for students to feel safe and comfortable in the classroom in order for learning to happen.

Multicultural

thehaileyhokenson — 2024-03-30 01:37:45 UTC

Multicultural curriculum goes beyond exposing students to others' identities, cultures, and ideas. I think it is important for my curriculum to showcase multiple perspectives and teach about empathy. I usually incorporate social justice and anti-racism within my curriculum and highlight the issues that are present today. It is very powerful when students hear their peers' personal accounts of their own experiences with discrimination and/or racism.

Collaboration

thehaileyhokenson — 2024-03-30 01:41:14 UTC

Students need to learn social skills, including communication skills and how to work with others. Collaborative groups is important for students to learn these social skills and to also regularly exchange ideas with others. In my own experience, I have noticed that students make meaning with each other when given chances to digest and talk over information. It also reduces their anxiety in class if they can talk to others before sharing to the whole class.

Collaboration

thehaileyhokenson — 2024-03-30 01:42:54 UTC

Besides encouraging and planning for collaboration for my students, I think it is vital for educators to collaborate. This often disrupts my comfort zone and my normal practices. It encourages me to try new things and get a different perspective on what I am teaching. When students get to hear from multiple perspectives, they get a fuller picture and can further develop their own understanding.

Funds of knowledge

thehaileyhokenson — 2024-03-30 01:49:21 UTC

It is important for students to feel seen and heard within the classroom. The first step is getting to know students–their interests, background knowledge, languages, strengths, etc. Then, I design curriculum with my students in mind. I plan for creative ways for students to express their knowledge based on their strengths. I try to connect curriculum to something relevant and interesting to students.

UDL

thehaileyhokenson — 2024-03-30 01:51:33 UTC

I think about UDL when designing my curriculum. What are potential barriers for my students? How can I represent this information in other ways? (Are there visuals or videos that can reinforce this knowledge?) What ways can students express their knowledge to me? This type of reflective thinking leads me to design more accessible lessons.

My passion is expanding into multimodal texts.

thehaileyhokenson — 2024-03-30 01:55:16 UTC

I am passionate about bringing new technology into the classroom. I love incorporating multimodal texts such as films, graphic novels, or interactive digital media. Exposing students to different forms of text helps them develop literacy (visual, written, etc) which helps prepare students for the real world as we are entering a digital age. Students now get their information in the form of short videos, so I try to incorporate more literacy practices to help them navigate this form.