Remote Ready Biology Learning Activities

Welcome Name: Alice Lesnick Date: 2005-01-19 09:38:57 Link to this Comment: 12100

Dear Ed 225 Students,

The purpose of this forum is to make a place for us to continue class discussion, raise questions based on readings and field placements, and share ideas and resources connected with empowering learners. Please remember that this forum occupies public web space; in postings to it, please do not use the names of people or institutions connected with your placement, or make any other statements that could threaten others' privacy or confidentiality.

I look forward to working with you.

Sincerely,
Alice

Class-Generated Guidelines and Aspirations Name: Alice Lesnick Date: 2005-02-16 12:01:01 Link to this Comment: 12928

Dear Students,

I write below the list of guidelines and aspirations we brainstormed for our class. Please feel free to use this forum to comment on, question or add to these and how we are doing in upholding them. Also, feel free to engage these issues during class meetings.



Be able to apply and guage the effectiveness of theories in practice.


Carry out lots of discussion of people's individual placements; talk across similar problems; focus on specific issues/things other people could use and that could help you.


Get better at asking thought-provoking questions that get learners thinking for themselves.


Get used to silence.


Be able to contribute to the pedagogical environments in which I participate.


Improve the system in which I am learning, not only the way I work with learners.


Get classmates' expertise on specific readings.


Create a term bank on Serendip.


Create an environment that challenges everyone in our class.


Work on the lifelong project of developing my educational philosophy and know who is on my side.


Know my standards for myself and where my teaching will take teaching.


Don't just ask questions but actively pursue answers that yield something to take away.


Learn how to work progressively with students who don't have the traditional fundamentals.

Snack Sign Up Dates Name: Elena Date: 2005-02-21 20:58:46 Link to this Comment: 13080

2/24 Samantha

3/3 Emily

3/17 Caitlin

3/24 Allison

3/31 Amie Claire

4/7 Susie

4/14 Becky

4/21 Rachel and M.B.

4/28 Sky

Sorry it took me so long to get this on-line:)

Poem Name: Christina Date: 2005-02-23 22:52:02 Link to this Comment: 13198

As a nerd
As a Buddhist
As a "problem" student

I know that learning is essential
that culture is not limited to race
there's more to diversity than that meets the eye
resistance does not always equal ignorance

As a poor southern kid
As a female
As a "white" kid
as a non-performer

What's it like to be a rich prep school kid
to be indifferent to school
to be a male learner
to be a teacher who performs with casual confidence

As a human being, I do not understand why teaching and learning/information sharing is so restricted to educational contexts.

thanks Name: Date: 2005-02-24 21:26:23 Link to this Comment: 13214

Thanks so much for posting the poem, Christina.

I also want to thank our class for today's rich discussion of Linda Powell's article. I know it's not easy to enter into such a discussion and I appreciate the energy and caring people brought to it. I hope we will go on exploring questions about it and other things.

Here's a question that struck me on the drive home: I wonder what the specific assignment for the paper that yielded the skewed grades was. As teachers, how can we think about how to create assignments that don't lead to or reproduce a split between thinking and feeling, even that make feeling a resource, an asset? What kinds of pressure (conscious and not) might Powell have been under NOT to create such a progressive assignment? This is something not problematized by the article.


Take care,
Alice

poem Name: nnnnnnnnnn Date: 2005-03-01 20:20:30 Link to this Comment: 13331

the first group is things that we are, the last group is things we either like to learn or teach about and the group in the middle is what comes in between knowing and teaching, not knowing and learning (and asking)


dropout older student dancer white person reader working class person
person of color physics major



fear it's too personal am i being pretentious? shame it's scary pride
is that all i can teach? maybe i will never know will they understand?
how will i be judged?



trusting myself not loving books the importance of education the majority
identifying as a non-science person embodied experience being a student
not looking like my teacher

funny reading for 9th graders? Name: emily Date: 2005-03-12 18:57:03 Link to this Comment: 13461

hey everyone - my students requested that we read something "funny" next week. anyone have any ideas about what books/movies/magazines/texts 13 year old kids, all african-american might find funny? Thanks! emily

Become a better learner event Name: Christina Date: 2005-03-15 11:00:42 Link to this Comment: 13508

Hey everyone. Just so you know, Peer Mentoring Services is sponsoring an event called "Become a Better Learner--Unleash Your Brain". It's on Wed. night (March 16th) from 7pm-8:30pm in Thomas 224. Prof. Grobstein will be talking about how the brain works and how humans learn. The peer mentoring people are also going to talk about how to improve your reading skills no matter what discipline you are in. Unfortunately I can't go but I thought it might be interesting especially since this is the sort of thing we are studying in class. Hope someone can make it and give us feedback on Thursday's class.

question for classmates Name: Samantha Date: 2005-03-21 16:30:17 Link to this Comment: 13795

Hello All-I'd like to add some thoughts from my fellow extra classroom teachers to my handbook and hope you can help me. My topic is extra classroom teachers as role models and I'd like to know: Do you see yourself acting as a role model in the classroom and if so, what are some suggestions you have for other student teachers in this position? Any thoughts would be greatly appreciated!

Education Conference Name: Amie Clair Date: 2005-05-07 17:12:19 Link to this Comment: 15075

In the session School Funding Equity: Achieving Socal Justice four speakers spoke from various viewpoints about funding for Pennsylvania schools. The first speaker, Timothy Potts Senior Advisor to Good Schools Pennsylvania spoke from experience with legislation about funding. His critique was aimed mainly at the legislative process which fails to address the funding situation fairly and democratically. He impressed upon the audience the importance of being active politically as well as in the schools in order to make changes in education. Also represented were the academic and judicial viewpoints on this important issue.

Name: Allison J. Date: 2005-05-10 10:58:03 Link to this Comment: 15097

Hello all! I attended the morning session on Saturday April 2

The topic for the morning conference Saturday, April 2, was Standards, Testing, and NCLB: Implications for Curricular Paradigms. The keynote speaker, Rich Maraschiello—from the Office of School Intervention and Support, of Philadelphia—discussed the NCLB testing and accountability requirements and the impact they have had on state and local policy and curriculum. A variety of programs were created in Philadelphia in response to these requirements such as the District Core Curriculum and the School Assistance Team (SAT) with the goal of improving struggling schools. However, using statistical evidence, he demonstrated that while there has been improvement in Philadelphia schools, there are still a great deal of challenges that can lead to the worsening of Philadelphia public schools.

Discussion of the benefits and challenges of NCLB continued with panel presentations focusing on a variety of perspectives of the impact of NCLB. Katherine Conner—Associate Superintendent Emerita for Standards, Equity, and Student Services, in Philadelphia—spoke about the impact of NCLB on classroom instruction. There are a variety of theories of academic improvement in NCLB, however Conner presented the holes in these theories and the disconnect between theory and practice.

the ed conference Name: sky stegal Date: 2005-05-10 14:59:02 Link to this Comment: 15101

On the afternoon of Friday, April 1st, a panel was held to discuss "Educating English Language Learners." The keynote speaker was Nancy Hornberger of the University of Pennsylvania, who spoke about the progress made in other countries (particularly Bolivia and South Africa) towards multilingual and multicultural education, and about the programs generally in America which aim for the same thing. She stressed that these countries, from whom the USA is "not used to recieving foreign aid," have gotten so much further than we have in this area that we need to learn from them and their programs.

The panel members included Kate Menken (City U. of NY), who has done research in the public schools in New York City regarding English Language Learners (ELL's) and the accountability and assessment requirements of "No Child Left Behind" (NCLB); Helen Gym (Asian Americans United), who spoke most passionately about the experiences she personally has had regarding racism and other obstacles for ELL's and about teachers being educated as "warriors for social justice;" and Mary Ramirez (Penn. Dept. of Ed), who presented numbers and information on the programs and efforts Pennsylvania's government has made in terms of educating all children, regardless of language or ethnicity.