ITP 511 Weekly Response & Replies 1 (WRR 1)_Su21 by K Kennedy https://padlet.com/mathgeek_karen/itp511_wrr1_su21 Select a passage, quote, excerpt, and/or key concept from the readings upon which you would like to reflect. Explain how the assigned chapter(s) and other readings connect to (or do not connect to) your beliefs about teaching and learning and other aspects of your professional practice Use evidence from the readings (with parenthetical citation) to support your ideas and justify your reasoning. Craft thoughtful replies to two or more colleagues’ posts to validate, build upon, and/or extend their thinking. en-us 2021-08-06 00:10:48 UTC 2022-03-20 20:58:13 UTC hello@padlet.com WRR 1 Response bemurray https://padlet.com/mathgeek_karen/itp511_wrr1_su21/wish/1672125208 “But any time educators (or parents) frame the issue in terms of the need to change a child’s behavior, they are unwittingly buying into a larger theory, one that excludes what many of us would argue are the things that really matter: the child’s thoughts and feelings, needs and perspectives, motives and values–the things, in short, that result in certain behaviors.” (Kohn, 2006, p.69)
I really had a difficult time choosing a passage from this chapter because I really enjoyed the perspective that Kohn puts forward. I currently work at a Reggio Emilia-based Preschool ( https://www.reggiochildren.it/en/reggio-emilia-approach/ ) and have seen many of these theories put into practice in their classrooms. This passage embodies a practice that we currently use and I want to embed it into my classroom management style as well. When a child is unwilling to participate in an activity, from what I have observed, there is usually something else going on (emotionally, physically, mentally, etc.). I think that it is extremely important that as an educator I get to know my students individually so that I can support them to the best of my abilities. The downside of working with the Reggio Emilia approach has been that students are asked to take a break when they do not want to participate and I feel that is a part of the practice that will not work for adolescents. 

]]> 2021-08-08 17:55:01 UTC https://padlet.com/mathgeek_karen/itp511_wrr1_su21/wish/1672125208 WRR 1 RESPONSE (Kohn Ch5) fpazmino1 https://padlet.com/mathgeek_karen/itp511_wrr1_su21/wish/1672169224 I want to reflect about the following passage:" Of course, it takes a special teacher to be open to this kind of conflict, someone who is not only patient but secure enough in herself not to need to have the last word. Most of us will often find it difficult to welcome conflict, but this is surely something to which  we can aspire. To create a classroom where students feel safe enough to challenge each other—and us—is to give them an enormous gift." (Kohn, 2006. pg. 76-77) I found myself identified with this assertion of the author and I connect it directly with my  Belief Statement where I mentioned the importance of creating a safe space so that adolescents can explore their full potential and develop as human beings who are part of a community and that they can be agents of change in it. It was interesting for me to know different theories (Assertive Discipline, New Disciplines and so on) and since I myself have been educated under a system of oppression that tends to replicate the status quo, these “Discipline programs can (temporarily) change behavior, but they cannot help people to grow ” (Kohn, 2006. pg. 69)in contrast to the theories of authors like Kohn who propose a true democratization from the classroom.]]> 2021-08-08 21:15:28 UTC https://padlet.com/mathgeek_karen/itp511_wrr1_su21/wish/1672169224 WRR 1 RESPONSE (KOHN CHPT 5) dahll https://padlet.com/mathgeek_karen/itp511_wrr1_su21/wish/1672468363 After answering the questions posed for our CMPS Pre-Statement, I took some time to really think about what I want my classroom to look like. How I want it to feel, how I want my students to feel. That space is completely and utterly reliant on the choices I make, the words I use, and the expectations I create. I have a tendency to be a "control freak" when it comes to just about everything in my life, but I know adolescents don't work this way - they aren't that rigid. They want to push the boundaries, ask "why" when told to do something, they are still figuring themselves and the world out, and can we blame them? 
"The overriding goal is to get students to do "what they are supposed to be doing" (Curwin and Mendler 1991), to "learn what's acceptable [to the teacher] and what's not" (Albert, 1989, p. 67) (Kohn, 2006, p. 59). This really stuck out to me because I found myself, at times, so concerned with things being the way I want them to be, that I forget why I am doing it in the first place. That is what this quote embodies - as teachers, we get so focused on our students obeying us and making sure they're following the rules, our actual teaching gets put on the back burner. If we spend too much time establishing dominance and making sure they're abiding by the rules, we will miss out on all the magic they bring to the classroom. We owe it to our students to not let this happen.]]> 2021-08-09 04:45:15 UTC https://padlet.com/mathgeek_karen/itp511_wrr1_su21/wish/1672468363 Kohn Ch 5 (WRR 1 Response) feeneyar https://padlet.com/mathgeek_karen/itp511_wrr1_su21/wish/1673016476 After observing many different classroom management strategies in K-5th classrooms and working in after school programs (focus on social emotional learning and STEM), this chapter gave me a new perspective on what the goal of teaching children is. It also had me consider the goal compared to what is realistic with the guidelines that are given (standardization, classroom size, location, aides given, preparation time, ect.) 

It is unsettling because it exposes a yawning chasm between what we want and what we are doing, between how we would like students to turn out and how our classrooms and schools actually work. We want children to continue reading and thinking after school has ended, yet we focus their attention on grades, which have been shown to reduce interest in learning (Kohn 1993a, 1994). (Kohn, 2006, pg 61)

When I have students do a painting project is the goal to have them sit quietly or is it to grow their minds and creativity. In my experience, students want to learn and do their best. If they feel safe, their needs are met and they are in a motivating environment. Structure is an important tool but only if it can be adapted when needed. 

Learning comes from discovering surprising things (Kohn, 2006, pg 66)

Some of the best teaching moments come from spontaneous moments of learning. As a teacher, impactful learning has also happened as I was learning alongside my students. As a student, my most memorable moments of teachers is when they were not intentionally teaching but just being who they are. 


]]> 2021-08-09 15:26:35 UTC https://padlet.com/mathgeek_karen/itp511_wrr1_su21/wish/1673016476 WRR 1 Response agatten https://padlet.com/mathgeek_karen/itp511_wrr1_su21/wish/1673139466 There were so many great passages in this chapter. I will share two that really stood out to me.

"We are advised to tell children in no uncertain terms how we expect them to behave, to impose "limits" as we see fit, and to announce what will happen to anyone who disobeys. In short, the prescription is dictate, control, and threaten" (Kohn, 2006, p. 56).

This passage immediately took me back to my K-12 experiences. On day one, you were read an explicit set of rules. When a student challenged any of those rules, they were immediately sent to the Principal's office. It was very much a "sit down and shut up" environment.

In my classroom, I will spend time with my students, discussing with them what type of environment they work well in, and what types of distractions and/or obstacles derail their focus. It is crucial for students to feel that their thoughts and opinions matter. By allowing them to construct a set of classroom norms, not only will they be more likely to follow the norms- they will feel more invested in their own individual learning.

"To create a classroom where students feel safe enough to challenge each other - and us - is to give them an enormous gift" (Kohn, 2006, p. 77).

This is a really beautiful turn of phrase, and so important, especially in high school. Children are taught at an early age that in school, the teacher is the most knowledgeable person in the room and should not be challenged. Through rules in the classroom, children are also taught that the classroom is not a place to argue. These are both wrong. It is important to question the world around you, and expressing a difference of opinion is the perfect way to gain a deeper understanding (or clearer understanding) of specific content, or the world in general. 

When I am helping students with math and there is a disagreement about how to solve a problem, I have students describe their methods and logic. Oftentimes, I have found that a student may be solving a problem correctly for a college-level class, but the method is considered "wrong" for a high school math class, because it is considered "advanced". It is important to allow students to work through these differences in processes to help them gain a better grasp of these concepts. As long as all parties are respectful and open to the conversation, there is no reason to shut down a discussion about a difference of opinion. In those uncomfortable spaces, learning beyond the curriculum can happen. ]]> 2021-08-09 17:20:31 UTC https://padlet.com/mathgeek_karen/itp511_wrr1_su21/wish/1673139466 WRR 1 Response tellocat https://padlet.com/mathgeek_karen/itp511_wrr1_su21/wish/1673491822 This chapter was extremely interesting, while very difficult to read in the beginning.  It really made me rethink my personal experiences with my past educators, question my future teaching style and the type of classroom that I would like to create. I wanted to focus on a positive statement that I found, which really resonated with me.

“Children, like adults, are not passive receptacles in which knowledge is poured. They are not clay to be molded, or computers to be programmed, or animals to be trained. Rather, they are active meaning makers, testing out theories and trying to make sense of themselves and the world around them” (Kohn, 2006, p. 66).

 I absolutely love this passage, especially given the beginning of this chapter and the rather awful way it described students. I have heard all my life, teachers help mold who you are, they shape you. This has always seemed problematic in my opinion, if they are shaping and molding you, that means they are doing it in the way they see best. They are fitting you into their mold, not your own. Creating unquestioned compliance and a dictatorship classroom is far from what I would want as a student or an educator. This is where an additional quote from this chapter really resonated with me. 

“To create a classroom where students feel safe enough to challenge each other - and us - is to give them an enormous gift" (Kohn, 2006, p. 77).

I strongly believe that challenges, discussions and inclusivity are key in helping our students find who they are as learners, which is my long term goal. 

]]> 2021-08-10 01:00:00 UTC https://padlet.com/mathgeek_karen/itp511_wrr1_su21/wish/1673491822 WWR 1 Response josuee2 https://padlet.com/mathgeek_karen/itp511_wrr1_su21/wish/1673610203 I’m really interested in the constructivist approach that Kohn is introducing here in chapter five. While my understanding of it is still quite nascent, I'm really intrigued by the section where Kohn states, “The only way to help students become ethical people, as opposed to people who merely do what they are told, is to have them construct moral meaning.” (Kohn, 2006, 66)
Kohn then goes on to share the example of Student A who shares their lunch with Student B. One approach would be to reward Student A by telling them, as a teacher, that this act should make them feel good, to center Student A's perception of themselves by rewarding them. The other, more “moral making” approach is ensuring Student A looks upon the face of Student B and, as a teacher, say, “Look at how happy you made him!”
This externalization of positive feeling, that one should make their morality on how they make others feel good instead of making themselves feel good, is so simple and effective. This vogues with an earlier passage of the chapter, one where Kohn shares that the objective of parents and teachers was to develop better humans in schools, rather than rote fact memorizers. I certainly carry these values myself, and sadly, can't say I learned them in schools themselves. By managing classrooms effectively and democratically, I hope to share this kind of "moral-making" with students in the near future, as opposed to the more authoritarian environments I've seen on particular occasion.


]]> 2021-08-10 02:56:51 UTC https://padlet.com/mathgeek_karen/itp511_wrr1_su21/wish/1673610203 WRR 1 RESPONSE (Kohn Ch5) rventura10 https://padlet.com/mathgeek_karen/itp511_wrr1_su21/wish/1673711884 "Teachers are encouraged to remove anyone who misbehaves this gives you back the control of the classroom" ...That the teacher ought to have unilateral control is not a proposition to be defended: it is a premise, a first principle." (Kohn, 2006, p. 57).
This passage struck me as particularly meaningful since it makes me sad to think teachers are encouraged to exclude students who are misbehaving in the classroom. As a new teacher, I feel that maintaining control of my classroom is critical, but I also believe that establishing a trustworthy connection with all children is critical. As an educator, removing a student from my classroom would be my last resource since my first objective is to create a community where everyone feels welcome and supported. If a student misbehaves, I will consider my expectations as a teacher and most likely make changes in order to build a connection with that student. ]]> 2021-08-10 04:47:59 UTC https://padlet.com/mathgeek_karen/itp511_wrr1_su21/wish/1673711884 WRR 1 Response (Kohn Chapter 5) om224 https://padlet.com/mathgeek_karen/itp511_wrr1_su21/wish/1674268278 "Indeed, we are tipped off from the start by the fact that presentations on these programs often begin with a nostalgic nod to the good old days when students did what the teacher asked without questioning. More significantly, these systems accept—also without questioning—that it is desirable, if not necessary, for teachers to be in control of their classrooms. The only issues are how benevolent that controller will be and how respectfully she will get and maintain the control. This imperative is hard to miss in many of the quotations from New Discipline books and videos that I have already cited."

This quote caught my attention because of the term "New Discipline," and by the definition or use of the term in some "new programs," it seems more like an old practice where the teacher is the absolute authority in the classroom. The teacher should indeed be the authority, but this "New Discipline" reminds me of the old classrooms where the teacher punished the students for no strongly apparent reason or where the student obeyed without question. In my opinion, students should question teachers and a fortiori when dealing with science or math topics. They should not believe everything teachers tell them. Teachers are not an encyclopedia to answer all questions in the classroom, but teachers have the responsibility to foster self-reliance and critical thinking in students to conduct research and make conclusions. These skills will students have a better judgment of the phenomena and situations occurring in their environment.

]]> 2021-08-10 15:35:41 UTC https://padlet.com/mathgeek_karen/itp511_wrr1_su21/wish/1674268278 WRR 1 Response kmoisan https://padlet.com/mathgeek_karen/itp511_wrr1_su21/wish/1674363286 Prior to reading chapter 5 of the Kohn text, I had listened to a podcast episode about biases that medical care providers have against fat people, and how assumptions those care providers make about people’s bodies and health impact the way they treat patients. While this example does not directly overlap with the Kohn reading, I reflected while reading on how the mindsets presented in that podcast may mirror some of the mindsets educators have about classroom management and the nature of students that contribute to potentially negative outcomes on students. For example, the podcast mentioned briefly that some medical care providers consider overweight patients ‘non-compliant’ or ‘poor listeners.’ These assumptions appeared indirectly in the Kohn reading, in that many classroom management programs focus on redirecting and training the behavior of students to force compliance with set routines and good listening skills. In the section about Assertive Discipline, Kohn (2006) writes that “the latest edition of the Assertive Discipline manual contains a bit of perfunctory talk about helping students develop ‘responsibility’ and ‘self-esteem,’ but even the most cursory exposure to the program makes it clear that the overriding goal is to get students to do whatever they are told without question” (p. 57). In this example from the Kohn text, the underlying assumption I see overlapping with what I heard in the podcast is that educators subscribing to the use of Assertive Discipline must go into its adoption thinking that students will be non-compliant with classroom rules and expectations without harsh force, or that their true nature is not to listen well without being trained into it. Much like medical care providers who ultimately hurt patients with assumptions that overweight patients are poor listeners or non-compliant with medical advice, educators can guide students away from the goal of becoming learners who are “morally sophisticated people who think for themselves and care about others” (Kohn, 2006, p.62) when they approach students and classroom management with a set of conscious or subconscious assumptions that children are by nature non-compliant, bad at listening, or need rewards to train good behavior and study habits. In my own approach to classroom management, I would like to reflect more often on the assumptions I may have about students and their behavior so I can shift my practice more toward the actual outcomes I would like to see. In the past I noticed that I plan routines and systems heavily around worst-case scenarios before I even meet my students because I fear conflict and being unprepared. This year I would like to reevaluate how I approach classroom management and lean more toward Kohn’s suggestions at the end of the chapter. This will require me to reflect on the classroom management systems I used in the past, consider the negative assumptions I have made about students, and come up with solutions to reframe my thinking and practice. ]]> 2021-08-10 16:56:17 UTC https://padlet.com/mathgeek_karen/itp511_wrr1_su21/wish/1674363286 KOHN CH 5. PG.63 LACEY_J32 https://padlet.com/mathgeek_karen/itp511_wrr1_su21/wish/1674410811 - which is to say, if she makes a habit of trusting them and has earned their respect.  I am talking about a teacher who doesn't compel kids to learn or care because she said so, but instead helps them to experience the value of learning and caring. (pg.63)

I am a firm believer that RESPECT should be the major foundation of a classroom because when you have a lot of different personalities in one classroom, respect is one thing they all know how to manage.  And if they don't know how to respect others, it can be taught with positive words and being the example. When everyone respects one another in a classroom it creates that equal environment where it allows the teacher and students to communicate clearly with understanding. Allows them to interact with each other so they can come up with ideas or solutions that fits everyone needs in the classroom. And in the quote, it allows them to experience the value of learning and caring and so much more.]]> 2021-08-10 17:39:14 UTC https://padlet.com/mathgeek_karen/itp511_wrr1_su21/wish/1674410811 Kohn Ch. 5 WRR 1 LucieSorel https://padlet.com/mathgeek_karen/itp511_wrr1_su21/wish/1674483315 "...we focus their attention on grades, which have been shown to reduce interest in learning (Kohn 1993a, 1994). We want them to be critical thinkers yet we feed them predigested facts  and discrete skills--partly from pressure from various constituencies to pump up standardized test scores.  We act as though our goal is short-term retention of right answers rather than genuine understanding. (Kohn, 2006, p.61)" 

I appreciate this quote from Kohn because it affirms my own philosophies on teaching and grading. When planning my own classroom curriculum, I hope to not give any homework and place my grading more on effort, participation, and presence, rather than traditional methods. I want my students to have a strong understanding of the content and apply it to their own lives, instead of memorize facts for a test. I hope as educators, we are able to move away from the pressures of grades and standardizing and more towards instilling the joy of learning in our students.]]> 2021-08-10 18:51:58 UTC https://padlet.com/mathgeek_karen/itp511_wrr1_su21/wish/1674483315 WRR 1 Response (kohn Ch 5) rasey2 https://padlet.com/mathgeek_karen/itp511_wrr1_su21/wish/1674755485 "We want Children to continue reading and thinking after school has ended, yet we focus their attention on grades, which have shown to reduce interest in learning (Kohn 1993a, 1994). We want them to be critical thinkers, yet we feed them predigested facts and discrete skills- partly because of pressure from various constituencies to pump up standardize test scores." (Kohn page 61)
There are so many passages that stood out to me while reading chapter 5 but this is one of them that really stood out for me! During my education (I graduated school in 2013) standardize tests were a huge thing. The grades you got on the state tests in middle and high school, depended on whether or not you would be able to take extra curricular classes such as french or choir etc. Which in my experience was pretty hard to experience. Though looking back, I do understand that they want students to reach a certain requirement but still. When the attention is grades and scores, it takes the fun out of learning because it can make the student stress over the "outcome" rather than the experience and adventure of learning. The focus on grades can make even a student's favorite subject feel like a chore. Not to mention it can cause a lot of anxiety and other problems. As a teacher, I don't want grades to interfere with the excitement of learning... and learn to use grades in a more positive way (because of course I know we need them). Also give my students support if they hold any concerns or anxiety over scores. 

]]> 2021-08-11 00:43:20 UTC https://padlet.com/mathgeek_karen/itp511_wrr1_su21/wish/1674755485 WRR 1 Response (Kohn Ch. 5) eglijoel https://padlet.com/mathgeek_karen/itp511_wrr1_su21/wish/1674864613 "What we have to face is that the more we 'manage' students' behavior and try to make them do what we say, the more difficult it is for them to become morally sophisticated people who think for themselves and care about others" (Kohn, 2006, p. 62).

This quote really resonated with me, and is a poignant reminder of what it is that we are actually doing as teachers (and why).  I think that it is important to focus on what type of people we want our students to be by the end of their compulsory education -- if we want them to be strong and capable individuals with critical reasoning skills who are also empathetic and caring towards those around them, we cannot simply deposit unto them ideas about how they should be 'cultured' and compliant to systems of power, as if they were being 'trained' into a life of subservience from one authoritarian system to the next.  I agree with Kohn's (2006) notion that making as many opportunities as possible for students to make choices, especially together, is what really guides the building of their moral fabric (p. 68).  Instead of a teacher simply acting as an authoritarian role which demands respect and compliance from their 'lesser' students, I like the approach that allows for more participation in the exploration of moral and ethical boundaries/dilemmas (and why those boundaries exist in society) to teach students that they have an active role to play in their place in society with regards to creating a safe and inclusive community.  When children are just told how to think about these issues, they are denied the opportunity for a lesson in why it resonates with them on an individual level, and do not get to challenge their own beliefs in a way that is self-exploratory.  One example that comes to mind is when I taught ESL in Japan, which has a fairly strict cultural code and teachers tend to be very discipline/authority-oriented.  I noticed that despite this very strict teaching style, many students still 'misbehaved' at a high rate, which at the time seemed counter-intuitive.  I feel that this happened because many students felt "...threatened into compliance" (Kohn, 2006, p. 62), and as such felt the need to break the 'rules' whenever they felt like the saw a situation where they could push the limits.]]> 2021-08-11 02:27:59 UTC https://padlet.com/mathgeek_karen/itp511_wrr1_su21/wish/1674864613 WRR 1 Response vjasmin https://padlet.com/mathgeek_karen/itp511_wrr1_su21/wish/1674923651 "But any time educators (or parents) frame the issue in terms of the need to change a child’s behavior, they are unwittingly buying into a larger theory, one that excludes what many of us would argue are the things that really matter: the child’s thoughts and feelings, needs and perspectives, motives and values—the things, in short, that result in certain behaviors. The behavior is only the surface phenomenon; what matters is the person who behaves . . . and why she does so" (Kohn, 2006, page 69).

It confuses me why Behaviorism still has such a prevalent role in the current world even though it has been shown to be unhelpful. I worked with infants and toddlers for three years, and I was very lucky to work with teachers who did not focus on behaviors but instead looked for the reasons the children were behaving a certain way. Addressing the root problem worked so much better than punishing the behavior. This topic also reminds me of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and its lack of client/patient involvement.  The behaviors are "wrong" and attempted to be righted through preferred behaviors and positive reinforcement, but the underlying mental health condition or trauma hardly gets the necessary recognition. This leads to kids with undesired behaviors being seen as "problem" or "bad" kids, but rarely are the kid's reasoning behind the behavior explored. I think we are overlooking and underusing one very easy tactic: ask them why they did it. When I asked a toddler why he kept crashing his bike into me after I explicitly said that hurt, it became clear he was simply trying to get my attention and knew this was one way to do it. Knowing his reasoning, I was able to talk to him and provide better ways at getting my attention that would not result in me getting hurt, and him having his bike taken away. I think a great place to start the discussion of classroom management and "acceptable" behaviors is by asking the students what they think that looks like, and give them tools to express their thoughts, feelings, concerns in a comfortable and understandable way.]]> 2021-08-11 03:22:27 UTC https://padlet.com/mathgeek_karen/itp511_wrr1_su21/wish/1674923651 WRR 1 RESPONSE skrug6 https://padlet.com/mathgeek_karen/itp511_wrr1_su21/wish/1675029580 "For someone interested in goals, it makes little difference whether one resorts to nods and smiles rather than scowls and shouts, whether one prefers class meetings, positive reinforcement, or old-fashioned punishment. What counts is that the teacher has never given up any real control. What matters is that the goal is not learning: it is obedience." Kohn Page 60

Positive reinforcement, or old-fashioned punishment...
Which is better? My viewpoint is that there are many ways to teach students, some students will respond well to classroom presentations, others to small group work and through 1-1 lessons. For most kids a safe learning environment in which a teacher gives information in a mutually respectful way is appropriate and normal. In some cases, kids can be challenging. Some of these have attention disorders, dyslexia, ADD, ADHD, Autism and other mental conditions that will make a normal style of teaching more or less challenging. Some other kids have very emotionally challenging issues at home and some kids just seem unhappy to be in school, in those few students I can understand why some teachers might become very dictatorial or just have the student moved to a special education room. 

I have some additional perspective of having been an exchange student in high school to Japan. In Japan the teachers are almost like God, they can be very authoritarian in ways that teachers cannot be like in the US, they can even scream and hit kids who are too uncontrollable, and the parents cannot complain unless it were a severe beating or a sexual harassment issue. I believe it used to be like this in the U.S. 100 years ago and probably before that. Students in Japan truly feared their teacher, they did not have the power to go to their parents, who will only tell their kid to not make their teacher upset. I honestly do not know which way is better...... I have read that in Sweden teachers are respected like in Japan, and they are paid six figure salaries, making super intelligent people who would perhaps choose to become a doctor or lawyer to instead become a teacher because their intellect will be (supposedly) more impactful or stimulating than teachers who are not fully invested.
There is great respect for teachers in Japan, the pay is good and so are the benefits. Here in the U.S we have defanged teachers, underpaid them and had all kinds of revisionists who want lessons to be taught to their political viewpoints to deny certain ugly things have happened, to gloss over historical genocide, lynching's and who invented certain technologies simply because of the inventors ethnicity or gender was not what the revisionists want their kids to learn about. I want to become a teacher because education is incredibly important for our society to maintain a leadership position in the world, to give our kids a chance at a great job in the future. Positive reinforcement, or old-fashioned punishment.... A teacher praising their students for working through a tough lesson vs a teacher bringing out a spanker. Studies by TIME indicate that spanking doesn't work..... Yet in countries where it is still allowed, are education levels better? https://time.com/the-discipline-wars-2/ 
I found one study that indicates that 80% of Americans think spanking is appropriate. https://www.rasmussenreports.com/public_content/lifestyle/general_lifestyle/february_2014/68_of_parents_with_school_age_kids_think_they_should_be_able_to_choose_school_with_spanking Has pendulum gone a little too far? I have heard of parents who disagree with what a teacher is teaching and sue the school. In my opinion teachers (Who have a zest to teach and are not bullies or burn outs) need to be protected and encouraged to teach the best they can because the kids are our society's future.




]]> 2021-08-11 05:00:17 UTC https://padlet.com/mathgeek_karen/itp511_wrr1_su21/wish/1675029580 The Value of Conflict tlm61 https://padlet.com/mathgeek_karen/itp511_wrr1_su21/wish/1675036675 "Indeed, from this perspective there is something a little suspicious about classrooms that operate too smoothly, too cleanly. Here the conflict may have been pushed underground, or promptly dispatched by the teacher’s intervention. . . . Eric Schaps is quoted to have said “Deeper learning would look somewhat ‘messier’ than what I am seeing . . . . many teachers seem satisfied with easy predictable answers. Their questions do not often probe or challenge; their comments are often routine and formulaic. If teachers and students were really exploring ideas wholeheartedly, there would be “more conflict, more frustration” (Kohn 2006, pg. 77).
 
Life is messy. Humans are messy. Why would learning something and engaging with content be any different? Speaking from personal experience, when I am purposely getting into the weeds of understanding or attaining a level of mastery of a subject, it’s generally not a slow sunny Sunday drive of sightseeing. It’s more a disassembled pile of Legos that I've nearly stepped on that’s meant to be pulled together as a Lego representation of the Star Wars Death Star. 

The ability to hold space for our students and ourselves to have conflict, to work through ideas, concepts, and applications, within a brave and respectful learning environment, is part of the joy of learning and mastery.
]]> 2021-08-11 05:05:14 UTC https://padlet.com/mathgeek_karen/itp511_wrr1_su21/wish/1675036675 WRR 1 Response: Kohn Chapter 5 kgmoran88 https://padlet.com/mathgeek_karen/itp511_wrr1_su21/wish/1675046732 "The constructivist classroom, I have been arguing, is one in which the process matters at least as much as the product. The wrestling with dilemmas, the clash of ideas, the need to take others' needs into account-these are ultimately more meaningful than any list of rules or guidelines that may ultimately result" (Kohn, 2006, p. 74). 
I was struck by the reference to the constructivist classroom, a place where the learning is constructed together. Students are asked to engage with the material and take responsibility for sharing what they know, what they would like to know and how they might find out about any given topic. It is an environment where students are expected to be full participants in the creation of the classroom community and in their own learning. My kids attend a constructivist school and this is what I have learned from the teachers there. Kohn also shares that this type of learning can be more messy and seem chaotic, but is much more meaningful that a quiet, compliant group of students just repeating what the teacher has told them to think (p. 75). In a classroom where students are engaged, taking ownership of what is happening and invested in the outcome, the teacher has created a rich learning environment. There certainly will be conflict and differences of opinion, but these are opportunities to facilitate a discussion, to hear different points of view and to find a solution that works for all. This approach is not about controlling the students so that they behave and follow directions, but rather about building students' capacity to be critical thinkers and problem solvers. 

The other quote that stood out to me was from p. 77:
"To create a classroom where students feel safe enough to challenge each other - and us - is to give them an enormous gift."
I believe it is important to create trust in the classroom environment where students have a voice and are able to express differences of opinion or of experience. Students bring a lifetime of their own lived experience and must have space to express it and teachers must allow it to inform their learning. The safety to disagree fosters meaningful discussion where it isn't about shutting students down, but about helping them to express and analyze their ideas more deeply.

]]> 2021-08-11 05:15:54 UTC https://padlet.com/mathgeek_karen/itp511_wrr1_su21/wish/1675046732 WRR1 Gwen gwmc2 https://padlet.com/mathgeek_karen/itp511_wrr1_su21/wish/1675080959 “because that is how children become thinkers— by making up their own minds about whether something makes sense and figuring out how to convince others.” (Kohn, 2006, pg 76)
I really loved this quote in particular because it really speaks to how I think about learning. Being a free thinker is one of the greatest aspirations we can have for our students. And I think that there should be plenty of space for that in our classrooms. This connects well with Pinto chapter three where she shows multiple reasons why the authoritative management style is not to the benefit of our students (Pinto, 2013 pg 41-43). Though Pinto doesn’t mention this in particular I think it’s important to note as an authoritative management style might keep students from learning this reasoning skill to the best of their ability. I am interested in how well the Kohn method, of extended conversations in order to learn, works with high school students. I feel that much of our college classes are taught this way were the teacher is more of a conversation facilitator, but I didn't have any experience with this style in high school. From the limited experience I've had with high schoolers I'm not sure how many would want to participate that way or on topic they would be.
]]> 2021-08-11 05:56:54 UTC https://padlet.com/mathgeek_karen/itp511_wrr1_su21/wish/1675080959 Constructivist Classrooms mhindman5 https://padlet.com/mathgeek_karen/itp511_wrr1_su21/wish/1675102851 I'm not sure how to organize my response so I am just going to list some of the connections I have made, while reading Chapter 5, in chronological order.

The analogy of the student sharing their lunch (p. 73) makes me think of what I have learned about, thus far, of restorative justice methods of classroom management. The focus is on helping the child attend to how their decision to share has affected someone else.  The image I attached (because I can now!) shows the restorative justice process that a group would go through after a conflict. Khon suggests that teachable moments are what may results from conflicts. By laying who is affected by the conflict (step 4), or in the case of the lunch sharing, the altruism, it helps build a practice of introspection and self-realization.  It's assisting them in constructing an image of themselves as decent people, capable of compassion rather than basing their actions on rewards and punishments.

On page 75, Khon emphasizes the process of the classroom community thoughtfully creating their own guidelines. The process is the point. They must take time to really think about what they want out of a classroom community. I connected this to the article on white supremacy culture. The process of taking time to get it right instead of getting it done quickly (quality versus quantity) pushes against white dominant culture. One of the bullet points in the article is: Little or no value attached to process; if it can't be measured, it has no value, (Jones, K. & Okun, T. 2001) This goes against the constructivist classroom where the process is the point. 

And just a quick thought on Chapter 1's reading and its connections to discipline and chapter 5... It was so validating to read Kohn's analogies describing the disciplinary teacher and what happens when they leave their class. As a specialist teacher who will take over classes for a short period of time, I witness this phenomenon and can gauge how strict the homeroom teacher is in every classroom. I also find it disturbing that some teachers are that disciplinary still today and will sometimes go under the radar or go unchecked because there isn't a standardized way of classroom management. I have heard first hand from the mouths of 6 year old how traumatic and abusive teachers can be. I never want to be that way and a feel ashamed when I think back on times when, overworked and running low on patience, I have slipped into yelling and time-outs. It's not a good feeling. ]]> 2021-08-11 06:21:32 UTC https://padlet.com/mathgeek_karen/itp511_wrr1_su21/wish/1675102851 WRR1 Response averie2 https://padlet.com/mathgeek_karen/itp511_wrr1_su21/wish/1677688779 "...The evidence suggests that Assertive Discipline is not terribly effective. When various approaches to classroom management are examined empirically, some studies typically show 'positive' effects while others show no effects. It is rare to discover that a program has negative effects, but they have turned up in some studies of Assertive Discipline" (57).

I hadn't known that there was a specific name for this particular teaching style, but it was so validating to read about how it isn't effective. I have had teachers who utilized this teaching style and they were some of the worst teachers I've ever had. I felt alienated in those classes and like my teachers weren't on my side. Although I think it's important to have both positive reinforcement and punishment in a classroom in order to maintain balance, the concept of trying to force students into obedience creates what feels like an unhealthy classroom environment, especially if the students are neurodivergent.]]> 2021-08-13 03:24:09 UTC https://padlet.com/mathgeek_karen/itp511_wrr1_su21/wish/1677688779