Reflections

At the begining of this course, I said I most closely related to Howard Gardner's multiple intelligences and I still believe this to be true. While we have learned about several different learning theories, I still think students have distinct ways they learn. Therefore, I have chosen not to modify my theory of learning.

An immediate change I have already made in my classroom was the implementation of voice threads. My students were able to successfully create and use the voice thread application on an assignment about winter holidays.

Two technology tools I would like to implement in the future would be virtual field trips and the use of Kidspiration, which is a program to help students create concept maps. Both of these will help students create and organize their thoughts in order to use them more successfully in their studies.

A long term goal I am making will be to integrate the use of Promethean boards in my classroom. Just before Christmas, we received word that our school will be receiving them through the stimulus monies. We will also receive several hours of training specifically for these boards and I am also trying to convince my principal to send me to Atlanta to become a certified trainer on the Promethean Boards. This technology will completely change not only the way my students will be learning, but the way I plan and construct my lessons. I think it will be a win/win situation for everyone involved!

The other long-term goal I want to make is by using some sort of student-lead technology each week in my classroom. I would like for the students to either blog to each other or create a voice thread about a topic we are studying at the time. This will provide the students an opportunity to build a classroom relationship as well as providing an opportunity for the students to jigsaw their information. I think both of these long term goals will prove to be successful strategies in the classroom!

Voice Thread

lease take a look at my voice thread & leave a comment!
http://voicethread.com/share/784087/

"It's Shake N' Bake and I Helped!"

I believe that this week's collaborative resources suggested in the book Using Technology With Classroom Instruction that Works are very valuable to the cooperative learning theory. I was really impressed with the Revolution game! My class is actually getting ready to discuss the American Revolution and I think this would be a wonderful way to impress upon the students the decisions everyone involved had to make. I also love that each person in my class can take on a character and play each other interactively.

I was also impressed with Dr. Orey's suggestion of Jigsaw learning. I explored the Jigsaw.org website this afternoon and while it was not interactive as I expected, it did give some great ideas of incorporating social learning into a classroom. This is really nothing new to experienced teachers. In fact, I suggested it to my student teacher for next week's vocabulary lesson. She thought it was a really cool idea!

I love that kids love working together and learning from each other. I believe if the teacher sets it up properly on the front end, there shouldn't be too many problems once the students get started. It is a great way to learn and have fun!

Reflection

Thanks for your comments everyone! Again, I believe all three of these methods could be very effective, but it depends on the teacher's comfort level. Jennifer, I know what you mean about not being able to use these with your class this year. Some years you have a class that can handle anything, while other years you get a class where you think you are lucky when they can correctly write their name on their paper!! lol

Tinker Toys

This week, we were asked to read Generating and Testing Hypotheses from the book, Using Technology with Classroom Instruction that Works. This chapter presented six tasks to help students create their own hypotheses which were, systems analysis, problem solving, historical investigation, invention, experimental inquiry, and decision making. By using one of these six methods, students can construct their own ways to test their hypothesis. This chapter also suggested three technological ideas in order to go about testing the hypothesis. They were Spreadsheet Software, Data Collection, and Web Resources. Honestly, the spreadsheet section confused me and I highly doubt that I would use it anyway. I'm not much of a mathematical kind of gal, so that would not naturally be the tool I would choose. I do think it would work well for students who are more logical and matematically minded and could construct their own spreadsheets to calculate their findings.
The web resources and gaming software brought to life a "Risk" like dynamic where students could logically think through an historic event and play out several scenarios. The constructionist theory works well here because students are creating different methods of play to figure out which would have worked better. I also like the idea of it being more interactive and having different outcomes that can be tested time and time again. There was a great list of several different gaming sites for students to "play" with.
Data collection tools were a more pragmatic way of looking at data. Students have a table created for them where they just plug in the information they found during their experiment and compare it to the other data they have collected. This is more of the traditional way I think we have all experienced when testing hypotheses in the past.
All three methods are great ideas to go about collecting data and testing hypotheses. I guess it just really depends on how comfortable the student or teacher is constructing the experiment and creating the hypotheses. One of the methods should work nicely for each student in a class.

Note Worthy

This week we were asked to read chapter 4, Cues, Questions, and Advance Organizers, as well as chapter 6, Summarizing and Note Taking from the book Using Technology with Classroom Instruction that Works. In both chapters, we are asked to correlate these methods with the cognitive learning theory.

Chapter 4 discusses many ways to use advance organizers in a classroom. The authors suggest that an essential question should be proposed in the central node of the organizer. Based on this question, the teacher or students will branch off with ideas or thoughts that directly relate back to, or answer the essential question.

This is an excellent way for students to show off what they have learned from a lesson. It is also a great way to introduce a lesson. The use of KWL charts is also a great way to get the kids thinking about why and how things are the way they are. By using these graphic organizers, students are definitely using higher order thinking strategies to relate back to the essential question. Graphic organizers are a wonderful way to analyze the outcomes of ideas, rather than simply “sit and spit” as many children are often asked to do in order to pass a test.

Chapter 6 focuses on note taking as a way to organize and synthesize information into a way it is more easily understood. Several different ways to create notes are discussed from using Wikis and Blogs, to using the Auto Summarize option in Microsoft Word. Again, note taking is an excellent cognitive activity because it forces students to narrow down what is really important. In a way, the students have to come up with their own essential question and decide which information from the notes supports it.

The note taking example I would probably use the most in my classroom would be the combination notes format. This format gives important thoughts or ideas on one side and a visual image on the other. Underneath both sides, a summary of the above information is given. This format seems to be one that would be most easily used in my classroom since my students are younger and do not have much experience with technology. I also like how it combines the written word with a visual.

Overall, I think the two chapters have given me a lot to think about when I present lessons to my students. There is definitely more I could be doing on the front end in order to help them succeed. I would love to try some of these ideas and see just exactly how beneficial they really are.

Effort & Homework

This week's readings in Using Technology with Classroom Instruction that Works have provided some very helpful and inspiring ideas for the use of technology in my classroom. At first, I was not very excited to read about what seemed like such mundane topics, but I was actually quite surprised! I finished reading with some good ideas that are worth trying to implement in my own classroom.

In the first selection, "Reinforcing Effort," it is suggested that students should use a rubric to see just how well effort pays off in the long run. After a short period of time (two weeks) students plugged their self-assessments into a spreadsheet to correlate with their grades on assignments. Theoretically, the effort put forth and the outcome of the grades should match up. This is a great way to get students motivated and excited about education. I believe the more the students get involved in the "whys" of education, the more they understand the "hows" of the way it works! This is a wonderful intrinsic motivator to use in a classroom!

In the second selection, "Homework and Practice," we were given several helpful web resources to aid in selection of multimedia outlets, remediation sites, and communication software services. Honestly, I was mostly intrigued with the fact that Microsoft Word can act as a search engine! I think the mentioned activities, such as using different resources available in Word to make sure the student's writing was on grade level was an excellent tool! Realistically, the ideas given in this chapter would not work well for my students. My students come from low income families; many without Internet connections at home. I do use some of the sites, such as BrainPop in my classroom to introduce and remediate topics with my students.

Overall, both chapters gave excellent ideas that were both tangible and useful. I think they all have a place in a classroom; some more easily than others. I look forward to trying some of them this year!

Pitler, H., Hubbell, E., Kuhn, M., & Malenoski, K. (2007). Using technology with classroom instruction that works. Alexandria, VA: ASCD.

The End is Near!

In what ways have you deepened your knowledge of the teaching and learning process?
I have deepened my knowledge by reaching out more into the technology field and incorporating it into my classroom with my students.

In what ways have you changed your perspective from being teacher-centered to learner-centered?
I believe the students learn more when they are in charge, so it is a goal of mine to make my lessons more learner-centered.

In what ways can you continue to expand your knowledge of learning, teaching, and leading with technology with the aim of increasing student achievement?
Through my Master's program, I will continue to expand my knowledge. I am also planning to take advantage of many in-service opportunities that my county offers.

Set two long-tem goals (within two years) for transforming your classroom environment by which you may have to overcome institutional or systemic obstacles in order to achieve them. How do you plan to accomplish these goals?
My first goal is to obtain and implement the use of a Promethian board. Through the stimulus money given to Title I schools, I have requested one. However, if I do not receive it, I plan to write a grant asking for one.
The second goal is to create as much of a paperless classroom as possible. I will do this by using more technology based activities such as wikis, blogs, and movies with my students.

Refer to your checklist from Week 1. Have any of your answers changed after completing this course?

I think many of my answers have remained the same. I am still looking forward to getting that Promethian board!

Like a Pea in a Pod

Here's my Podcast link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AgOLWmvqFRE

I'm also including it here in case you don't want to follow the link!

21st Century Girl

This week, I've been asked to address the following questions about the Partnership for 21st Century Skills.

Your reaction to the Web site:

I think this website is a great initiative to get students and teachers all on board for the kids learning skills that are necessary for the 21st century workplace. I have often wondered how many of the skills we currently teach are preparing these kids for their future. Honestly, most of the social skills they learn in school will help them the most.

What information on the site surprised you?

I was actually (not that) surprised to see that Tennessee was not on the list of states that support this initiative. It's sad that we have to be the last ones to grasp on to almost everything dealing with education. For once, I'd like us to be the front-runners.

Did you disagree with anything on the site? Explain.

No way! I think it's a great idea and there were many helpful and informational articles on the site. It is also nice to see so many businesses who are partnered with this organization. Since many of our children will be working for these businesses in the future, it's good to see them taking an advanced step in the right direction.

What are the implications for your students, and for you as a contemporary educator?

By having this organization out there, the implications for the students are amazing! I wish we would adopt more of an initiative to teach these skills in our school. As one teacher, I can only do so much for the students in my classroom, but I know if all the teachers at my school got on board to teach these skills such as navigation, basic typing skills, and how to differentiate between websites that are helpful and those that are full of hogwash, our students would be more prepared to emerge themselves into future technology based assignments.

Blog Schmog

I have begun a new course in my Graduate class and here are the questions I've been asked to ponder this week:

What purpose would the blog serve? Is it a place for students to interact about content? Is it a showcase for their work? How does using a blog enhance the lesson? Include your grade level, content area, and your rationale as to why a blog is a good tool for the instructional context.

I have already set up a classroom blog and hope to use it in the coming year. It's my plan to have to students communicate with each other not only about curriculum topics, but everyday topics as well. I want this to be a place where they can build an online community and feel safe responding to each others opinions.

I think the blog will enhance lessons by getting the students to think more critically about topics. It is also able to be used in different ways, so the students will be differentiating their own instruction. We have a time during the day called, "Double Dose." During this time, I think I will allow the students to work on their blogging comments and responses. I would like to teach them various ways to respond other than by writing, but I want to get that skill down first!

As a 4th grade teacher, I will be taking on quite a bit of extra work, but I think the kids will pick it up easily. Since I teach all subjects, I look forward to incorporating each into a weekly/daily question. I think having a class blog will be a great instructional tool that will be fun for the students and keep them interested in our class and each other!

Finally...

The final CREDE standard, Emphasizing dialogue over lecture, is probably one of the hardest things for teachers to do. It is natural as an educator to want to lecture, but as we've all experienced going throughout our educational careers, we get BORED and begin to daydream. In the end, do we even remember what the lecture was about? NO!

Gosh, I hope I'm not one of those teachers! I don't think I am - I try to turn my lessons into more of a student-lead discussion than teacher-lead. Teachers should be facilitators. My students are usually in small groups, which goes hand-in-hand with strategy number 15: Partner Work (pg. 88). While students are engaged in partner work, they are more or less forced to create a dialogue in the learning process. This is an excellent way for me to be able to drift from group to group and eavesdrop on the many conversations. It is also an opportunity for me to steer the conversation in the direction I want them to go. Students have proven to learn more when they teach each other than they do by listening to a boring ol' lecture, (BUELLER....BUELLER) so by working in small groups/partners, dialogue is emphasized over lecture! Voila!

Back Off Jerry Springer!

In order to accomplish the 4th CREDE standard - Engaging students with challenging lessons - I think that strategy number 34 would work well. This is called the Talk Show (pg. 198). While I have not personally used this method in my classroom, I can only imagine how much fun it could be. On page 199, several ideas are given about how to use this suggestion. The ones I would probably use the most would be interviewing characters in books, historical characters and people in the news. I have very often suggested that my students make a list of interview questions for characters before, but I've always had them answer as the character themselves. I can't help but think how funny and fun this activity would be while the kids were working on setting up their very own "Jerry Springer Show" - except for the whole nudity, cursing, and fighting thing - pretty sure I'd get fired for that! Anyway, this would be a super way for the kids to apply some higher order skills as they analyze all aspects of putting the show together. This would also be a great way to incorporate other curriculum areas such as math for building the set and technology for learning how to record and present the program. I am definitely getting excited just thinking about it! I'm all over this idea for the upcoming year!!!!

I Heart Rap Music!

This is probably one of my favorite things to do! The third CREDE standard is connecting school to students' lives. I feel like I do this pretty well. I also feel like the younger you are, the better you relate to the kids. However, I realize they are not getting any younger and neither am I! So, I have to take some time to actually get to know the students and find out what their interests are. I also connect to the students by using manipulatives, which is represented in the 14th strategy (pg. 84). I have used Hershey bars for fractions, M&Ms for graphing, and even current popular music to teach pronouns. Of course students are going to pay more attention to lessons where I use things they like than they would a lesson out of a text book. It is also helpful to know what the kids like such as video games, music, TV shows, or actors/actresses so that I can use them to my advantage in discussions. I can't tell you how many times I have talked about Hanna Montana to my 4th graders and tried to relate the character to a math problem or a reading concept. While this example is not necessarily considered a manipulative, it is a great way to get them thinking about something they already know and apply it to something they don't.

A Little of This, A Little of That...

For standard 2, Developing literacy and language skills across the curriculum, I will discuss strategy number 8, Supporting Student Use of Language (pg. 50). This is where I believe a word wall would come in handy. If the students are immersed in new words and are able to see them and use them on a consistent basis, they are more likely to recognize and use them in the future, whether in verbal or written usage.

It is also important to remember to model and repeat (echo) what you want your students to accomplish. If my class is doing a group project, I can't expect them to know exactly what to do if I don't show them what their project is supposed to look like. I also like to give short and sweet directions and have the students repeat them to me - especially after I have gone through all the motions. That way, all the students are held accountable for knowing what I expect. I usually also post the steps on my projector, so if they forget a step in the process they can refer back to it. Hopefully, this is a good way for me to support the students use of language. I also like to write the main vocabulary words on the projector and ask the students to refer to them throughout the lesson. I think this is a good way to reinforce new language.

Give me some CREDE-T!

So this week, I have to look at the five CREDE standards and connect them to some of the 50 Strategies for Teaching ELL students. I will first list the five standards and then try to address one each day. Here are the five:
1- Teachers and students working together
2- Developing literacy and language skills across the curriculum
3- Connecting school to students' lives
4- Engaging students with challenging lessons
5-Emphasizing dialogue over lecture

For standard 1, I feel this can be addressed with Guided Reading (pg. 222) because the teacher and the student must work together in order to effectively engage each person in the lesson. In my classroom, I use small guided reading groups weekly because our reading series is designed to create small groups with teacher and student led interactive lessons. It is important for the students to feel they have just as much of a right to discuss as the teacher does. In fact, it is popularly felt that students should be discussion MUCH more than the teacher. This leads to higher order thinking and learning. It is still important that the teacher be there to facilitate and guide the students in the right direction.

I prefer to use small groups in almost all my lessons, but especially reading and math. I find I have more individualized time with the students for them to ask questions and get direct answers. Plus, it gives me a better understanding of where each student stands academically.

Until next time...

I'm Just a Girl!

Oh, this is a good one...

How has being a man or a woman influenced my life? How has it limited me? Sustained me? Opened up possibilities?If I had been a man instead of a woman or vice versa, how would my life have been different?Finally, think about how your personal attitudes and beliefs might influence you as a teacher. How might your identity impact your perceptions, actions, and beliefs in the classroom?

Well, just let me start off by saying I'm proud to be a girl. I wouldn't have it any other way! There are many opportunities I don't believe I would have ever experienced if I had been a boy - or...the experiences would have been WAY different! ;-)

First of all, I don't believe I would have ever wanted to be a teacher if I were a man. I probably would have gone off into the business world...OR I would have been a major player! Second of all, I don't think I would have had the drive or determiniation I have today. Men often have it pretty easy...they don't have to deal with womanly problems such as "that time" or worrying about multiple things at a time, or even contemplating what to wear and with which shoes, jewelry, and bag?! I have heard the word NO many, many times in my life. Now, do I think all of those times were because I am a girl? Absolutely not. However, I am sure that many of those times WERE in fact for that very reason.

I remember back in high school I had a group of friends who started a band. They were looking for a lead singer, so I offered to help them out. They told me no because they "weren't looking for that kind of sound." Now, I'm was not about to beg to be heard, but I did insist (demand, rather) that they give me a try. One verse was all it took and we successfully formed "Khaki's Ex" (don't ask...) the most fabulous high school band EVER! Well...not ever, but EVER for that year! We even went on to win the talent show that year and played several gigs around town. If I had been a guy - I don't even think I would have been interested in doing that.

In my classroom, obviously I relate to the girls more than the boys. I only have six girls in my class this year, so we've stuck together ;-) I also think I can relate to the boys, but on a different level. I've always been a jokester, so I'm good at forming a relationship with them that way. However, when it comes to actual "boy stuff" I have no clue what to do! That's usually when I seek out a man's perspective. I ask my husband or the male teacher next door what to do. I don't even pretend to think I know how to deal with that! The students are so impressionable at this age and I want to make sure I do all I can steer them in the right direction. Plus, many of the boys in my class do not have readily accessible dads at home, so bringing in a positive male influence is a good thing.

There are many times when I believe that the boys in my classroom do not respond well to me because I am female. Like I said, most of the boys are raised by their mothers, so to them I am just another mother figure. I am easily ignored and disobeyed. When these circumstances arise, there isn't much I can do - the boys don't respond to any female authority. Again, this is the time I seek out another male teacher in the building to get my point across.

As far as my personal beliefs and attitudes go, I try not to delve into that too much in front of the kids. They know I am "no nonsense" but that I am also fun and sarcastic. That has always been a very helpful and bonding thing for me - especially in my classroom management. I try not to discuss those taboo topics, such as religion, at all if possible. In this day and age, parents are sue happy and I would prefer not to be on the receiving end of that. On the other hand, I like to keep a relaxed atmosphere and want the kids to be comfortable, so I try to encourage them to discuss what is on their mind. They are actually pretty good about knowing what is an acceptable school discussion, so I don't worry too much.

All in all, I hope to make a positive and enlightening impact in my students' lives - whether I'm a woman or not...

Foreign Tongue

Whew...it's been a hectic weekend. Here's a blip for this moment:

How do I feel when I interact with a person who speaks a native language other than English? Do I treat the person differently than when I am speaking to a person whose first language is English? What assumptions do I have about linguistically diverse people?

I have had many students in my class who did not speak English. In fact, I have one right now. At first, I looked up common Spanish phrases so we could communicate. I was also fortunate enough to have several other students who speak Spanish in my class to translate - they were a HUGE help! I try to learn as much as I can to help them transition easily. Within a few weeks, they are able to communicate better and it is easier for us to understand one another.

When it comes to adults, most often I only meet with non-English speakers at parent conferences in which case I have an ESL assistant to translate. I don't think I treat them any differently, but I'm sure they are aware of my uneasiness. I am uncomfortable not knowing what is going on (that goes for any situation) so I just try to listen and pick out as many familiar words as I can to piece together what they are saying.

I think it would make my life easier if I were linguistically diverse. I would be able to understand much more than I can now. I would think that people who do know multiple languages have an easier understanding about languages in general and could probably pick up just about anything. I would also think they would have an easy time finding a job with a very high status because they would be able to communicate with people around the world. They would be in demand quite a bit!

Eeeek-on-o-mee!

Let's face it - the economy sucks! Here are an appropriate set of questions for this day and time:

What are my assumptions about why some people are affluent and others are poor? Do I think it is fair? Inevitable?Whom or what do I blame for disparities in wealth and opportunity? Poor people? Wealthy people? The system? What do I think needs to be changed? Do I want to be a part of that change? If so, in what ways?

I whole-heartedly believe education is the foundation of whether or not people are affluent or poor. While there are always exceptions to the rules, many of the most successful people in the world have an education. As I have mentioned before, I came from a small town where it was very easy to be labeled "white trash," but because my parents valued education (both being teachers themselves) they instilled the importance of it in me. Educated people have a more well-rounded sense about them and can make informed decisions after some consideration. I had many friends who did not end up going to college and unfortunately, they have ended up living the stereotypical white-trash lifestyle. You know...single wide trailer, yard covered in trash and old cars up on cinder blocks, multiple children all under the age of five running every which way wearing only a dirty diaper, and the adults sitting on the front porch drinking Mountain Dew and smoking cigarettes, which they bought with their welfare check. Now, while that is an extreme description, it is what it is. Many of my friends who did not go to college did not even finish high school - opting instead for a G.E.D. They have worked job after job living paycheck to paycheck all for what? To get up the next day and do it again?

Do I think it's fair? No. Life isn't fair. Is it inevitable? No. People choose their own paths. Of course, my own life has not turned out to be anything like I dreamed it would be when I was a kid, but I went to college, got a great job doing what I love to do, married a man with ambition and multiple degrees and we are able to live a pretty comfortable lifestyle. Granted, those things can change at any moment - especially with the economy being as crap-tastic as it currently is - but I still don't honestly believe we would end up making choices that weren't beneficial to us or our family.

There are MANY people who are highly educated and have absolutely no sense about maintaining money. On the other hand, there are many people who beat the odds and met success by working hard and making smart decisions. Again, it's all about making a choice. Who do I blame for the inequality between classes? Good question. Perhaps many of us are predisposed to our fates? Without the rich, the poor wouldn't exist, but without the poor, the rich wouldn't exist. It seems a symbiotic relationship exists whether we like it or not. So, to place blame is impossible.

I could go on for days about how and why I think the system should be changed. After working in a low-income area and teaching in a Title I school for four years now, I have seen poverty first hand and I have also seen how the welfare system is being abused. There are parents of children at my school who drive fully loaded Cadillac Escalades, yet say they cannot afford to take their child to the doctor for simple and basic health care. It's disgusting. And as a tax payer, it makes me irate. There needs to be an overhaul in the welfare system. Perhaps the implementation of a merit system would work. The more a person on welfare can do to help themselves become more financially independent, the more they are rewarded. Now, I'm no financial advisor, so I really can't say what that reward should be, but there HAS to be a way to make it work. Somehow...

I would love to be a part of the change. I think right now the most I can do for change is to stimulate the economy. Believe me - I have NO problem helping out there! And without getting too political, I think the U.S. has no business sticking their nose where it doesn't belong. To quote a fabulous children's book called, How to Steal a Dog by Barbara O'Connor, "The more you stir things up, the more it stinks!" That's exactly what has happened here! It's time we stop stirring and start picking up. Go out and spend money; even a little bit at a time. Help your neighbor, volunteer, become active. The best thing I can do is educate my students. I don't want them to grow up and live like their parents. I want them to be successful and have all the things they deserve. I can do that by teaching them to be good decision makers, thoughtful thinkers, and role models to others.

Okay, time to get off my soap box for now...

Culture Club

Whilst I do love some Karma Chameleon, you will find none here...

In this post I will be commenting on the following questions:


When do I notice culture? How often do I think about it?How would I characterize encounters that I have had with people of different cultures? Have they been positive experiences? Negative? Neutral?How does my value system relate to my culture? What values do I hold dear? Have I had experiences where my values were in conflict with another person’s values? How did I resolve these differences?

I notice culture most obviously by the way a person looks or dresses. I know that is probably a very ethnocentric way to look at things, but usually I can tell a person is from a different culture by their appearance. I don't think about it often; usually I don't think about it at all unless it's brought up by someone else. To me, the area in which I live is quite saturated with many different ethnicities, religions, and socio-economic statuses and quite honestly, once you've encountered it over and over again, it becomes second nature and you don't notice it as much as you used to.

The most positive experiences I have had with other cultures has come from my students. I have been lucky enough to teach children who either came from or are descendants of Egypt, Laos, Mexico, Puerto Rico, Guatemala, and even other parts of the United States. I truly enjoy learning about my students, their families, and the ways they celebrate their traditional holidays.

I have also had negative experiences as well. I think we've all encountered the stereotypical phone call to a customer service line only to be routed to someone in India who you can't understand, no matter how much you try! Just the other day, my friend and I were trying to order pizzas for our classes and the woman on the other end had a very thick, foreign accent. Not only was she difficult to understand, but she seemed rude to me. However, without knowing exactly what her culture was I had no idea how she might react to that kind of situation. I know that many of the Hispanic children I teach will not look at me when I am disciplining them because they have not made a good choice. At first, I would demand they look me in they eyes until someone brought to my attention that in their culture, they learn to focus their eyes downward when being corrected by an adult. Since then, I've not pressed the issue. I understand now and don't want to impose my beliefs onto them; I don't like to make people feel uncomfortable.

I'm not really sure how my value system relates to my culture. I think each and every one of us has a different culture as well as sets of values, so to relate the two doesn't make much sense to me. I just know that I try to be a good person. I believe everything happens for a reason and Karma is a bitch. I think you should treat people the way you want to be treated and help others out when you see that they need it.

There have been many times when my values haven't jived well with others. I'm a very opinionated person and am not afraid to share my thoughts with others. However, I am not one to try to persuade or impose my feelings or beliefs on others because I don't like it when they do that to me - especially in areas like religion and politics. Usually when a negative situation arises I try to agree to disagree. I have learned that people have deeply ingrained values and beliefs and no matter how much you try to convince them the sky is blue, they will always say it is purple. In cases such as those, I move on to a different topic because obviously nothing will be resolved.

I am an only child and was raised in an all white community, but I think I'm pretty well rounded. I believe my parents raised me well and instilled the value of tolerance in me at a young age. I'm glad they allowed me to make my own decisions and learn from my mistakes because that made me who I am today - a ROCK star!

Lovin' would be easy if your colors were like my dreams - red, gold, and green...

We're in a Race!

Here are the questions I am going to address this evening:

How do I feel about my racial group? Am I proud? Ambivalent? Do I sometimes wish (or have wished) that I belonged to another group?How do I feel about people from other racial groups? Do I have close friends and neighbors in other racial groups, or is my social network racially homogeneous? Would I like to have close friends of racial groups other than my own? Why or why not?

I honestly enjoy my racial group. I think I would probably like being in any racial group because I like who I am, although I 'm not going to lie - being white has probably made my life easier. Unfortunately, many other races have a stigma - not that I've never been called "white trash," but that's minimal in comparison to what other groups have had to endure. So, no, I have never really wished to belong to another racial group.

I do have several close friends and colleagues from other racial groups, but for the most part I socialize with other white people. However, I do have several African American friends who are able to joke and kid with me about the racial divide. It's kind of like that Seinfeld episode with the "racial harmony" cookie...

I would love to have friends from other racial groups, but not necessarily because they are a different race. I am just a good friend maker :-) I enjoy having various ways to connect with others, so it really doesn't matter to me what color, gender, or sexual preference they have. I'm just glad they want to be my friend! And why wouldn't they???

More to come on these fabulous and thought provoking questions at a later date...

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Hello! I have created this blog to use for my Master's class online at Walden University - it sure beats writing a paper! For this week's assignment, we are required to take time to reflect upon some questions and then address each one. I am copying the assignment here, so that I can refer to it throughout the week as well as allowing you, the reader, an opportunity to actually see (and participate in) what I'm doing. Here is the assignment:


Begin thinking about the question “Who am I?” in relation to race, culture, socioeconomic class, language, gender, religion, and/or sexual orientation. Make a list of descriptors to help you define your identity. Next, reflect on the following questions:

How do I feel about my racial group? Am I proud? Ambivalent? Do I sometimes wish (or have wished) that I belonged to another group?
How do I feel about people from other racial groups? Do I have close friends and neighbors in other racial groups, or is my social network racially homogeneous? Would I like to have close friends of racial groups other than my own? Why or why not?
When do I notice culture? How often do I think about it?
How would I characterize encounters that I have had with people of different cultures? Have they been positive experiences? Negative? Neutral?
How does my value system relate to my culture? What values do I hold dear? Have I had experiences where my values were in conflict with another person’s values? How did I resolve these differences?
What are my assumptions about why some people are affluent and others are poor? Do I think it is fair? Inevitable?
Whom or what do I blame for disparities in wealth and opportunity? Poor people? Wealthy people? The system? What do I think needs to be changed? Do I want to be a part of that change? If so, in what ways?
How do I feel when I interact with a person who speaks a native language other than English? Do I treat the person differently than when I am speaking to a person whose first language is English? What assumptions do I have about linguistically diverse people?
How has being a man or a woman influenced my life? How has it limited me? Sustained me? Opened up possibilities?
If I had been a man instead of a woman or vice versa, how would my life have been different?

Finally, think about how your personal attitudes and beliefs might influence you as a teacher. How might your identity impact your perceptions, actions, and beliefs in the classroom?

I will read over these questions once again and respond as the week progresses. We'll see how it goes...