Welcome to Math

Information Processing TIPR +edTPA Prep

The teacher does a couple of things to get the students attention. He reminds the students to put away their devices before class starts to encourage attention to be on class. He calls the students attention between activities by saying "listen for instruction". Instruction often happens when the students are sitting. The students know this time is meant to listen since most of the activities require the students to be out of their seats. The teacher uses wait times but may need more structure when it comes to answering questions just to encourage some students to not speak unless called on. For the most part the students are good about paying attention when the teacher speaks. In order to encourage encoding the students practice the drama technique they are learning through a variety of games. One game the students enjoy is called the bus stop. Each student picks a character out of a hat and has to interact with the other students in their group at a "bus stop". The rest of the class guesses who their characters are. This encourages the kids to recall and reconstruct the knowledge they have gained in the previous units (pantomime, acting with your face, and acting with your voice). The activities incorporate the current unit with the methods learned previously. The teacher could occasionally pull out one of the activities from a previous unit so the students once again concentrate on that one technique.

edTPA
1. The teacher has structured his curriculum to build on the previous units. In the current unit they are putting all the previous units together. They have learned to act with their bodies, their faces, and their voices. They are now putting all three units together and acting scenes. The teacher has a day every two weeks where the play acting games that they have learned throughout the semester. So they can be doing charades, emotions on their face, and scenes all on the same day. This makes them recall and reconstruct the methods that they learned previously.
2. The teacher encourages the students to tie their personal experiences with the scene or character they are currently portraying. This encourages them to incorporate their culture, personal, and community knowledge into the acting. This could be done more in depth in further classes.
3. The teacher often praises the student for their current efforts and then discusses how they can take it to the next level. He then has them try it again to see if they can push themselves further.

The students need a little more variety in the practice/rehearsal stage in order for them to really generalize the knowledge. More visual examples could also be used to help demonstrate the techniques. In order for this to happen a screen, projector, and laptop would be needed in the stage space. Using a variety of methods to get the students attention also may be helpful as it gets loud when the students are doing the acting activities.

When I teach my lesson I will have the students perform a scene that requires them to use all of the previous knowledge from this class. The scenes will incorporate things that students have seen or experienced during their life. Allowing them to recall and rehearse things they have already learned. This should strengthen the ability to recall and use the information they have learned.

Constructivism TIPR

The teacher uses multiple facets of constructivism in his teaching. One lesson that immediately comes to mind is one where he was having the students explore how the environment a scene takes place in effects the acting. He had the students pretend that they were at a birthday party and then had them think about different environments such as a pizza place, a hailstorm, on the moon, etc. The students had to explore how the environment would change their behavior, feelings, and actions. The students had to "construct" their actions based on the changes. He also had the students do an assignment where they had to put together a presentation on their favorite drama. They had to explore different medias to see where drama was used. The kids learned how drama is used in ways they had never thought about it, such as video games, youtube videos, cartoons, etc.

The students could use constructivism more. Specifically in character development. Right now every character becomes them instead of them constructing what that character would be like without the students personality involved. They could spend more time collaborating and researching for themselves how those from different time periods and cultures would act.

In my lesson I will include characters that are not teens. They will need to act like a different age, personality,  and in some cases a different gender. This will allow the students to explore and construct a character that is very different from themselves.

Contexts of Development TIPR+edTPA Prep

The junior high drama class is a very physical class in that many activities require the use of the whole body. The teacher is very aware of physical needs and does not have a strict bathroom policy or anything like that. He is very open and unafraid of talking about how it is easy to feel awkward at their developmental age. He often talks about what is happening in the students lives and how the outside world interacts with them. He has them use their experiences to drive their acting.  The teacher could discuss more how what the students do affects those around them and the world.

This teacher spends a great deal of time learning about his students. He has time set aside during the first class of the week for them to tell everyone what they did over the weekend and for them to interact and talk to one another during this time. This allows the students to see what they have in common. He also has a list of random questions that he asks 2 questions a day from. It can be anything from favorite food to what super power do they want to have.

The teacher will add some of these tidbits into the acting activities in class. For instance, one students loves football so the teacher had him pantomime playing football for a game they were playing. He knows a number of the students love playing minecraft and he will slip bits of the language from that when he teaches.

The teacher always has a funny story to share that relates to something one of the students shares. It really helps the students feel like he understands them and can relate to them. The students all have a great relationship to him and word is spreading that he cares. His class size has doubled from last semester. He is currently teaching 4 classes but has enough demand that his load will increase next semester.

The teacher is very in tune with these students and the struggles some of them face. He has a mini fridge in his office that is always well stocked for students that do not get enough at home. He is always there with a caring ear. He offers a variety of ways of completing assignments that need to be done outside of class. No materials are ever needed and extra time is allowed if the student talks to him about any problems that they are having completing the assignment.

I feel like the teacher excels in this area. This is one reason I chose his class to observe. I have seen the instant connection he has with students. I have seen how much the students respect and like him. He never has a problem with foul language in his class that I see and hear so much in other classrooms.

I have picked silly scenes for my lesson to give the kids a chance to have some very lighthearted fun. They often carry a bigger burden than they should and I would like to give them a chance to escape from that a little. I did think of the students in the class as I searched for the scenes to use to make sure that I wasn't picking anything that might make a student uncomfortable.

Identity TIPR

I have observed multiple psychosocial crises in this class. I suppose it is inevitable in junior high but even more so in a drama class. I have seen specific instances of the following stages of Erikson's model: Trust vs. Mistrust, Autonomy vs. Shame and doubt, Initiative vs. Guilt, Industry vs. Inferiority, Identity vs. Role confusion, Intimacy vs. Isolation. These students are going through so much. I have seen students that are homeless and unsure of their parents ability to care for them. I have seen students that feel unaccepted by their parents due to clothing and friend choices. Both instances of Trust vs. Mistrust. I have seen students overcome their sense of shame and dance in front of the class, it was a beautiful moment because this student often feels awkward in her own skin. I have seen some students rise to the occasion and be industrious as they accomplished tasks and others too afraid to try. I have seen the feeling of not being good enough on their face and the change when they receive praise for their efforts. I have seen a student struggle because she doesn't agree with her parents religion and she tries to figure out how to be herself and not disappoint her mother. I have seen students trying to figure out where they fit in the school, the class, and the world. I have seen the desperate war between intimacy and isolation. This age is so difficult for these students, especially it seems for the girls. I have seen them form amazing friendships just to be told by parents that they cannot be friends with those people. I have seen them search for acceptance and friendship through social media. I have seen the isolation that comes after being torn from their friends and the harm that causes both parties. I feel that the teacher encourages the students to be in a state of moratorium in Marcia's theory. He wants them to be exploring choices for themselves.

I think the main need for these students in this particular class is acceptance. They need to learn to work through the intimacy vs. isolation stage. I struggle because I sometimes feel that the parents (though well intentioned) are actually hurting this process more than helping. The classroom is a very safe place where the students feel comfortable sharing their struggles with one another which I think is amazing. I have heard these kids open up about things they usually won't. I think that speaks highly to the acceptance they feel while in this class. I feel like this is an area the teacher excels at and does a good job of helping the students to feel and be accepting as they search for their identities.

This is going to be difficult to work into my lesson due to some parental conflicts being brought into the classroom dynamic right now. I am going to do my best to put the students into groups that they may not typically work with to help them explore other possible friendships. I will encourage positive feedback for the others in their group so that everyone feels like their ideas and opinions are valid and can be shared. This assignment will give the students a chance to be industrious and use initiative. These things will be encouraged and hopefully built upon.

Vygotsky TIPR

I have observed Vgotsky's theory of sociocultural cognitive development in the junior high drama class on multiple occasions. I often see the teacher (more knowledgeable other) modeling the kind of acting he is looking for. Just the other day he was having a lesson on acting with your face. He had the kids draw different emotions out of a hat and try to show the emotion with just their face. He then went around to each group and helped them figure out ways to show emotions that they were struggling with.  He talked to them about how he finds motivation when portraying different emotions during shows. He occasionally asks students that he knows have acted in plays or competitions how they would do something or how they came to understand a concept. For the most part he observes the students behavior and acting to see where their Zones of Proximal development are. It is not always easy to see in this setting, especially with shy or introverted students. The scaffolding provided tends to be modeling or helping them talk through the process until they figure it out for themselves. The teacher often talks about how their life experiences can help with their acting, how they can use the emotions and feelings they have had to portray the emotions of their character. He has used minimal technology in the class.

The students need to be pushed farther into the zone of proximal development, especially, the withdrawn students. The class is such a safe place but they are still hesitant to put themselves out there, which is what acting is all about. I think the students can be pushed a little further than they currently are. Video clips would be a great scaffolding tool in this class. There are so many great actors that that would be an easy thing to use.

In my lesson I will be having the students act out a full scene. They have not done this in class before. I think this will put them fully in the Zone of Proximal Development as they will have to take the lessons they have had over the last 2 and a half months and put them together. I will divide the students that have acting experience equally in the 2 groups so that there are MKO in each group. I will also have the teacher guide one group while I guide the other. This should ensure enough support and scaffolding to complete the activity.

Paiget TIPR

1. I think that overall the subject I am observing is constantly putting students at disequilibrium. The students just finished an assignment where they were required to show the class their favorite piece of theater and explain why it is their favorite. He gave them the option of getting extra credit if they performed the theater for the class. I saw a shy girl dance in front of the class. She admitted she had never danced in front of people before. It was amazing to see her make herself vulnerable and be so brave. She took her initial idea of theater, acting, and had to assimilate dancing and other forms of performing into her definition of theater. The teacher made sure everyone was aware that no negative comments on anyone else's presentation would be tolerated. That the stage is a safe place. This was easy for the other kids to accept as he has made it a point to help the students get to know each other and become friends. The teacher directs his instruction to the formal operational stage of development. His class is about finding their identity and seeing things from other points of view.

2. The needs of these students in respect to Piaget's theory lie in the formal operational stage. The students in this drama class are looking to fit in, to find themselves, and to look outside themselves. At times they could use more logical thinking, however I feel like there are plenty of classes for that. Drama lets them explore the less logical side of life. That is as it should be.

3. I plan to give the students scenes to perform that they would not normally experience. This will allow them to look at things from a different perspective and see if there is something in their life that they can use to act and connect with their character.

Assessment TIPR + edTPA Prep

1. Mr. Walker just finished a unit on pantomime. He had the children try pantomiming different things at the beginning of the unit and then again at the middle of the unit. He used this as an informal assessment of what they had learned so far. At the end of the unit he did a formal assessment in the form of a pantomime they created themselves. He had them perform for each other and myself, I gave feedback then after working on the pantomime for another day they performed for him. He also gave feedback immediately and spent time helping to show a couple students the value of acting.  He explained how competitions give scholarships. These students have been more willing to participate and have been trying harder since he spoke with them.
The kids were graded based on their improvement. They were given a clear rubric and given guidance throughout.
The assessments were valid, practical, and unbiased.

edTPA
1. The teacher used formative assessment to see what the kids had grasped and what they needed more help and instruction on. Being able to observe the students trying the same things (in game form) throughout the unit shows him what progress is being made.
2. The teacher does not have any exceptional students in this class. He does allow a little extra time for some students with learning disabilities and rough home situations.
3. The teacher gave feedback on the grading form that the students were given at the beginning of the assignment. He then gave feedback after the assessment and showed the students the grading sheets. He had them perform in front of peers and myself that also gave feedback before the final assessment. This gave the students a chance to improve based on feedback before they performed for him.

Growth mindset TIPR

This topic is one of the reasons I was so excited to work with the teacher that I chose.  Mr. Walker promotes a growth mindset and engages students in a way I have never experienced before. I find this particularly fascinating as he has not been formally educated to do this. He has come to teaching through alternate routes. One of the things that Mr. Walker (Dave) has done since the beginning of the year is to emphasis the Yet concept. I cannot do that YET, I am not good at that YET, etc. He is constantly praising and encouraging the students to push just a little further and to try something a little more difficult with each activity. At the beginning of the year he often used extrinsic motivation in the form of candy to encourage participation. As the kids get more comfortable and open he has transitioned to praise and encouragement. There is the grade component of course but his grading focuses on effort and participation over the perfect performance.

Mr. Walker has numerous games each day that incorporate the topic that the class is working on. The students now ask for certain games and I was surprised to notice the games they ask for are the more difficult and challenging games. In order to receive full points for the day students must be on time to class and participate in the games and activities.
Mr. Walker participates fully in the class and encourages all students to do the same. He leads by example. One of his favorite sayings is "the only thing that stands between you and being a great actor is your ego." Being too good for an activity or to too "shy to try", he often reminds them that acting is making yourself vulnerable but that doing so makes you strong. He is never too good to do what his students are doing.
 Mr. Walker is conscious of the challenges his students face and encourage the students to participate in ways that are comfortable for them. For instance, there is one student who carries a stuffed unicorn with him everywhere. Mr. Walker will respectfully listen when the student uses the unicorn to express what he himself is feeling. He also gives each student a few seconds to tell the class what they did the day before and encourages conversation between them during this time. This helps the students learn more about each other and is fostering friendships. He also has a list of random questions that he picks from each day and everyone answers these questions. This helps the students to see how much they have in common.

There are 14 students in this class and all but 2 have a pretty open mindset about their abilities at this point in the semester. Mr. Walker spent a little extra time this week with these 2 students explaining how participating in theater can change their life. He changed their perspective to encourage them to value the lessons and participate more. The student body of the school where I am doing my hours has an overabundance of students from state care and low income families. They are motivated by ways to improve their lives. They need to see paths to a better future than the past they have come from. Mr. Walker and the rest of the staff at this school excel at showing these students alternate paths to viable futures. Mr. Walker addresses the Maslov hierarchy of needs by having drinks and food available for those that do not have those needs met at home. He keeps all work in class to allow students to excel even if they do not have support at home. He follows the Self-determination theory. He provides opportunities to belong at the beginning of each class, fostering friendships. He gives the students autonomy in their assignments, they can pick any topic for their assignment, encourages them to pick things that they know well. He makes sure they feel competent. He excels at this and it is one of the reasons I chose to volunteer in his class. He has an ability to praise and correct students while making them feel like they are award winning actors already.
When I do my mini-lesson I will allow the students to choose from a variety of scenes thereby giving them a degree of autonomy. I will encourage them to work in groups, fostering belonging. I will also give praise for the things that they do well, ensuring that they feel competent.

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Metacognition TIPR

I have been observing in a junior high school drama class. One thing that I have loved about this class is that there is constant feedback and improvement. The class just finished a unit on Pantomime. The kids were asked to work individually or in small groups to plan, design, and execute a pantomimed scene. The teacher went through basic ideas and what makes a good pantomime. The students turned in their ideas and went over them with the teacher. They then had time to design and practice their pantomimes. At this point they then performed for a different group and got feedback on their strengths and what needed work. They then got more time to perfect their pantomimes before performing for me. I gave them additional feedback and they had more time to practice before performing for the teacher. This was an assignment that really gave the kids a chance to use and practice their meta-cognitive skills. They had autonomy to choose the topic and guidance with their plan. They knew how long they had to work on the assignment and what the grading rubric would be. They got feedback and check ins with themselves, peers, and teachers to help them evaluate how they were doing and how they could improve. I saw massive improvements in most of the pantomimes.

Between this class and helping with the after school drama competition team I have realized that the kids need more direction in self-regulating the evaluation and changing tactics portion of the meta-cognitive process. They would benefit from recording and watching their performances and then analyzing whether they are putting forth the effort and focus needed to reach the level/grade they would like to earn. They understand the planning process but do not always use their time wisely or evaluate themselves which is vital to being a good actor.

With the idea that I have for my mini-lesson is to do mad-lib scenes, this will lend itself nicely to the meta-cognitive process. I will include a section where they can record and watch and evaluate themselves. They can then decide if there is anything they would like to change or work on before performing for the class.

What is intelligence?

Intelligence means different thing to different people. After learning about the different theories on intelligence I have a greater grasp of what it means to me. Intelligence is the ability to gather knowledge from various sources and experiences and use that knowledge to improve your life and the lives of those around you. Intelligence is something that can be strengthened or grown. It can be decreased as well. If you gain knowledge and never use that knowledge that it is not intelligence. You must be able to use the knowledge to improve your life in some way.
 Intelligence is not just academic knowledge either. Some of the most intelligent people I know are not academics. They work in trades and have learned various skills and have knowledge that I do not have the desire to have. They never graduated from a 4 year university. They attended trade schools, community college, they received training in the military and through apprenticeships and they are the first people I call when I have a problem. 
You can gain knowledge through life experiences. This knowledge can be vital and life changing. I learned a great deal about compassion, empathy, and what I wanted out of life from living with a mother that was addicted to alcohol and drugs. Being homeless and never knowing what would come next taught me gratitude and what to avoid as I grew older. I learned the importance of boundaries and speaking up as a survivor of sexual abuse. All of these types of knowledge are important and must be recognized.
 By recognizing and validating these types of knowledge our students will feel a sense of acceptance and belonging that they will not have if only academic knowledge is validated. I hope to show my students how important the different kinds of knowledge are. That while math skills are important to understand or know, that it is more important to surround yourself with people that excel at the knowledge that you struggle with. That true intelligence lies in knowing how to ask for help and who the best person to ask for that help.

Definition of Learning

After reading the 10 definitions of learning and serious contemplation I have determined what learning means to me.

 Learning is a process of changing the knowledge or aptitude for any subject that results in a long term change. 

This change results in a greater understanding of the subject and allows the student to use the knowledge in a variety of ways and settings. It is not memorizing and reiterating facts for a test and then forgetting those facts. Learning results in long-term retention that will benefit the learner.

I believe learning occurs differently for each person. I learn best through reading and practice. My son learns best through visual and hands on activities. Learning requires repetition and finding the method that you understand.

Teaching in a variety of ways will be something I strive to do in my classroom. As a math teacher I will need to teach a variety of methods to solve a problem and help my students find the method that works for them. I need to be open to discussion on how or why different methods do or do not work. I will strive to find ways for my students to practice the material that is not boring but expands their thinking and uses real world problems that they can relate to.