Boys and Girls Learn Differently

I thought this was an excellent presentation. You provided a great array of information and then helped us to reapply all of it. I thought the two spectrums were a great tool, as this really showed how important it is to understand the way our students think. We can not merely assume that a student will learn in a certain way, thus it is important to inventory for such learning needs. I also thought your group did a great job of presenting information and allowing sufficient time for student response. I never felt that the information you taught was pushed upon me, but instead that you were merely exhibiting a number of scenarios and asking for individual responses to each of these.

The various stations really helped me to understand the concepts of the lesson, while thinking about each topic on a deeper level. Each station gave me a far deeper knowledge of the topic considered, and it was nice to reapply everything you taught us. The video presented at the bullying station really made me think about the challenges our students will face on a daily basis, and the ways to meet this head on to ensure a minimum amount of bullying. Overall, this was an excellent lesson.

Accountability for High Standards

Abstract: This chapter made me incredibly nervous initially, as I deeply felt for this student. When I began reading, I could not understand why the teacher would push the student to such a level of discomfort, yet this proved to be an effective method. Once the student was able to relax and work his way through the presentation, this became effective not only to this lesson, but as a long term skill. I think this was my favorite chapter that we have read so far. I was very interested in the various ways of holding students accountable without being harsh or overbearing. I think my favorite part of this chapter was the discussion of moral accountability, with the primary guidelines used to help students determine whether they are acting an a moral manner. Whether a student or a teacher, I think this is an excellent guide to acting in a manner that one would be proud of.

Synthesis: One thing that provided me with a strong sense of conviction was the idea that we must stop thinking that standards ruin creativity. Although I understand the significance and value of standards, I always feel bogged down by incorporating them into my lessons. The checklist gave me a much better sense of how to implement standards without allowing them to over power learning. Another striking moment in this text was the student’s account of how a particular teacher always permitted him to hand in work late. I loved that he was able to rationalize that while this seemed great at the time, it hurt his learning in the long run. I feel that nearly every student longs for the ability to hand in work whenever they please without consequence, yet it teaches students absolutely nothing. I know that I will hold my students accountable for their work at the time it is due in order to instill a good work ethic that will help them in later years of school as well as in future jobs.

Becoming a Whiz at Brain Based Teaching

I found your presentation to be very useful, and I feel that I learned a great deal that I did not previously know. Your packets and connection to "Pinky and the Brain" were very useful in perpetrating the information needed, especially because I had no previous knowledge of the brain or how memory was retained. The connections that were made were excellent and helped me to actually understand many elements of science. As a person who is not strong in logic, it is nice to be given easier methods of understanding science.

This lesson was highly interactive and I enjoyed the ability to reflect upon my own strengths and weaknesses in relation to teaching practices. I was happy to consider how I can work on my own role model practices and the areas that I need to work on to be a successful role model.

After your presentation, I would be interested in reading this book.