Wednesday, November 28, 2012

Using Biology to teach Social justice

Hi Guys....Like Jennifer, my video is a few weeks late, no thanks to hurricane Sandy. enjoy!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MujRjegW7uk&feature=youtu.be

Social Justice Practices in the English Classroom

Hey Guys!  I'm sorry that this is several weeks late...no power, technology problems (I'm not that great at it), and then the transcript notes of the video not posting so you at least could read what I was recording through video...(deep sigh).....

Well, here FINALLY is my video blog!  Uploaded and everything (I hope it works!).  I have the video and the link included here in case one thing or another doesn't work.

Check it out when you have the time! (JS)


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KxvxTi1kJ1g&feature=plcp

Wednesday, November 7, 2012

To what extent will the use of technology in the classroom influence student achievement?

Topic: To what extent will the use of technology in the classroom influence student achievement?
Research Survey: Interview (Questionnaire) Literature Review

Technology is considered to be the driving force of the 21st century. It has played and continues to play a major role in human development and existence. From hi-tech gadgets, the internet, smart phones and tablets, technology is basically part of our lives.
In schools, technology has helped both teachers and students to discover a part of them that was hidden, it has helped to change the way we teach and learn. Technology has influenced schools in ways that have created a domino effect on the society. The advent of the internet, smart boards, virtual manipulative, simulations and models has created a vast array of choices and opportunities for both teachers and students to choose and work with.

Technology is only effective when it achieves its specific goal. In other words, all the technology in the world may not produce any positive change if it is not used effectively to solve the required problem. That is where the human factor comes in. In this research, I have tried to ask the questions, find the facts and dissect in a analytic way the way technology would work effectively for our schools. There is an ongoing argument by stake holders and United states, congress on why there has not been a drastic improvement in education despite all the billion of dollars that was invested in technology since the 1990’s. It is a question worth asking and which requires an answer.

Contrary to the notion that pumping money into technology is the way to compete with other countries in Asia and Europe, who already have a well organized system of education that partners well with technology to yield maximum results. The reality is that, irrespective of the funds that have been pumped into developing technological applications for student learning, the factors that will ultimately result in the partnership between Education and technology to create a functional system for the future have not been identified or dealt with.  This is the purpose of this research: To identify how, why, if and which factors have or will influence student achievement provided there is better strategic solutions that will enhance good technology/education partnership.

Five Sources
1. Critical Issue: Technology: A catalyst for teaching and learning in the classroom. Gilbert Valdez, Ph D., director of North Central Regional Technology in Education Consortium. www.ncrel.org
2. Critical Issue: Using technology to improve student achievement
  Katherine McMillan Culp, Education Development Center. Inc, 2005. Www. ncrel.org  


3. Technology in Education: Apple Education, Engines for Education,  Cornell theory center, www. ncrel.org.
4. 8 ways technology is improving Education: Sarah Kessler, 2010, Mashable. www.mashable.com
5.  The case for social media in schools: www.Mashable.com

Tuesday, November 6, 2012

Teaching English as a Second Language and Social Justice

I find teaching English to speakers of other languages exciting because I understand the importance of what I am introuducing to these students. It is not only just a superficial language that is being taught to these young students, but the culture that comes along with it. Every word in every language, and especially every phrase in every language carries with it a special, cultural meaning that can only be fully 100% understood when it is placed within a context of that culture, or learned from within that culture. For example, "raining cats and dogs" is a phrase that would hardly be understood by people learning English as a second language. Of course, other languages have phrases that mean the same thing, which is something along the lines of "It's raining really hard.", and they too may or may not be idiomatic in nature. Often times these idiomatic phrases are anecdotal phrases that are funny, or rhyme, or are simply a metaphor that became permanent. The thing about them is, that they must be taught as a whole idea, within a context, much like individual words.
In relating these ideas to promoting Social Justice, I find it to be very easy to introduce topics which are relevant to Social Justice while teaching English as a Second Language. The field offers an unlimited number of topics. As long as it contains the target language than it is relevant to the subject. As a teacher of ESL, I must always include literacy and content area standards simulatenously, given that I am teaching a lesson in something other than English. For example, a history lesson taught to English Language Learners must contain Social Studies and Literacy standards. This I believe, provides me with an excellent opportunity to greatly vary my approach to these students, so that they may learn a new language while being taught content and culture.
The article that I am handing out on the Novemeber 7th class is a great example of this. The article itself is derived from a ESL lesson, but it contains interesting information on cultural understanding and geopolitics. Promoting cultural understanding, which is key to understanding a foreign language, is just one of many ways to promote social justice within an ESL classroom. (AI)

Student Motivation

My social justice research goal is to qualitatively measure what factors into students’ motivation to perform well academically in disadvantaged or impoverished neighborhoods.  My rationale behind this is thinking about all of the factors that economically disadvantaged students must think about in a given day as compared to their peers in affluent school districts, there may be different motivating factors for these students that are not being addressed by all of their teachers.  When a teenager must consider whether he/she will have a bed to sleep in or a stairwell at night, or if his/her family will have enough food to eat that week, or safety concerns in a neighborhood plagued with gang violence, that adolescent may not see the relevance in scoring highly on a biology exam.  For the student whose largest stressor is whether he/she will be awarded a new iphone from their parents for earning a good report card, that student’s biology exam is more significant to his/her life.  My goal is to discover specific aspects of a course/teacher that will motivate a student in a high needs district that may be different than factors for students with higher socioeconomic statuses. (CC)

Teaching Biology AND Social Justice?


 

Biology is a content area that may not generally come to mind when one thinks of teaching for social justice, however I see many options to teach content in Biology as an indirect social justice issue.  During the study of human genetics, gender issues can be addressed by talking about how there are more options than just male XY and female XX chromosomes.  Students’ eyes can be opened by discussing various genetic disorders and the learning disabilities or physical disabilities that these genetic defects can cause.  Through learning about genetics students can learn that it is not a choice to appear or behave a certain way but that traits are often in a person’s genes. 

Genetically modified food and cell research poses a controversy and bringing these new discoveries and research into the classroom can be teaching to social justice.  Since it may not be addressed in all areas, just having the facts and both sides of an argument on an issue that could impact every adolescent in the classroom is teaching with critical literacy and social justice issues in mind. (CC)

How can physics contribute to social justice? (gh)

            Physics can be incorporated into social justice in a variety of ways.  The fundamental concepts taught at the high school level can shed light on new technologies that have the potential to revolutionize the way we approach energy policy.  The cost of energy is a concern of every nation on earth.  What is the cost?  Do we have the supply to power a productive society and economy?  What non-traditional ways can you think of to produce enough energy to accomplish these goals?  These are all questions that can be posed to students learning basics both to help generate a more broad way of thinking and also to show them that if these models are extrapolated one can solve an assortment of different problems.  As one can see this works both ways.  Physics can be used to promote social justice issues but these same issues can be used to demonstrate that physics plays a role in our society.  By doing this you are encouraging those interested in physics to view the field in a different context while showing those interested in government and policy that physics and science education must be addressed and understood to make informed decisions. (gh)

Thursday, November 1, 2012

How can math contribute to social justice work?

Math can contribute to social justice work in many ways. Math can be used to figure out statistics about important social justice issues in the community or broader areas. We can introduce our students in a statistics course to how to gather the data and be able to graphically or verbally convey what is happening. Also, math gives us a way to quantify the injustices occurring. When people see statistics it is usually the most eye-opening for them. It can be a catalyst for change and cause people to want to do more to help their community, their peers, or their families. Many people do not connect math with social justice, but I believe it is extremely important to do so. As a future math teacher, I would like to teach my students ways that math can display social justice topics and issues and hopefully cause them to continue it in the future. I think social justice is something that can be intertwined into every subject, and has a different impact in each one. Math teachers need to make themselves familiar with the social injustices in their community and can use it  to collect data, make hypotheses, and hopefully collaborate with other clubs or departments to do a community project or start a new club at the school. The whole school should work together in order to promote justice, equality, and equity. (AM)