Conceptual Framework
Hello Ladies,
BACKGROUND:
The conceptual framework that guides our teacher preparation programs states the following:"The College of Education contributes to the theory and practice of the broad field of education, and dedicates itself to understanding and respecting learners in diverse cultural contexts. We facilitate engaged learning and ethical leadership in schools and clinical settings. We seek collaboration with diverse constituencies, recognizing our local and global responsibilities to communities, environments, and future generations."
QUESTION:
In what ways has your preparation at WSU helped you to enact various aspects of the conceptual framework? How do your student teaching experiences connect to the framework? What aspects of the framework are becoming most meaningful to you?
Additional instructions:
Please post your own individual responses, but then, read each others postings and respond/comment on what the other had to say.
Let us know if you need additional guidance,
Chris & Heidi
posted by Heidi @ 4:26 PM
7 comments
7 Comments:
Within my classroom, I think the most obvious connection to the conceptual framework is working with a diverse population in relation to both the local and global communities. My students, although all American in some way, are extremely diverse. Many of my students have never lived in the states despite their citizenship. In addition to the large diversity of my students, due to the nature of our environment, they consider more than just the local community; they look at the global community. My students are much more aware of the world than their peers in the states, and I think that is because they get to see so much more living over here.
Just today, I had an example of how this diversity and global mindedness plays out in the classroom. In class, a student that is a native German speaker (German mother) and a student that has learned German from living in Germany for so long were speaking German to each other. I had no problem with this, but they were focusing more on their discussion than on their math. So, I walked by and reminded them, "We are in math class, not German class." After saying this I realized how this may have come across to them so I added, "You can speak German, as long as you are focusing on the math." I'm glad I added this because they said that at first they thought I was trying to disallow their language. I really see this as a connection to the frame work because it shows how I am working with diverse students and valuing their background knowledge, but keeping everything within the appropriate context of the classroom.
I feel like my courses at WSU played a great role in teaching me the skills to use the conceptual framework as a teacher. I learned the principles behind everything and understand why it is important to value diversity, learners, learning, and leadership. However, it is a challenge to take what I learned as a student, and use it as a teacher. In my head I can picture this Utopian classroom where I can follow all of the principles I learned in school. However, in practice it is much more difficult to execute.
I think the aspect of the framework that is becoming most important to me presently is leadership. This is becoming most important because it has been the biggest challenge. I have always taken leadership positions amongst my peers, but it is very different as a teacher. I am having a hard time with a few students respecting the student/teacher boundaries. I am frequently asked questions that are inappropriate for a school setting, and I remind my students that it is inappropriate, but they don't seem to respect that boundary. The most common thing that I am referring to is partying. These last couple of weeks several students have asked me "do you go out on the weekends?" or "do you party?" or even, "want to go to the club with me this weekend?" Of course, I always remind my students that it is an inappropriate topic for school, but many of them continue to push. Because it is legal for most of them to drink in Germany, they talk about it freely, and don't seem to respect the fact that it is an inappropriate line to cross to discuss it with a teacher. I know that a lot of this is because I am young. However, I feel that there has to be something that I can do as a leader to set the tone so that this isn't a reoccuring issue. In some ways it is good that my students feel comfortable with me, but that is too comfortable. I need to figure out what I can do so students feel like they can be open in my class but not cross the line of being inappropriate for school.
I think this links directly with demonstrating ethical leadership with diverse learners. I was never prepared for students being able to legally consume alcohol. In the states this would not be an issue because students would fear the backlash of a teacher finding out about illegal activity. This is an aspect of diversity that I did not anticipate. I have talked with my mentor about responding to the situation, and she says that I handle things the way I should, but I want to know how I can be a good leader by stopping the problem before it starts.
I think the conceptual framework really applies to the experience I am having. There is a wide range of diversity in my class, from students who have a deployed parent, having parents from different countries, single parent homes (both father or mother), to living in multilingual home. I also think that the military community is very different from other communities because there are people coming and leaving often and many families dealing with similar stressors. Due to this, the military community is very close nit and misunderstood. I also think that living in a foreign country provides many opportunities for students to experience the global responsibilities and awareness.
My WSU preparation has made me very prepared for this experience. Students really benefit from learning about their peers experiences and cultures. I think that because, the military is such a diverse community, with people from all around the world and from different cultures, it is important to be aware of engaged learning and ethical leadership in schools. One thing that I have come to realize while teaching in such a diverse classroom is that I differentiate instruction for students based on needs including behavior, skill, learning style, and diversity. I find it more challenging to focus on ethnicity and culture because it is integrated throughout the curriculum. I have learned while teaching abroad, that diversity encompasses a wide variety of people, not just ethnicity and culture. It includes who and what families are made of, where people come from, life experiences, socioeconomic status, educational experience, and much more.
Students are always sharing experiences and cultural ideas. When we have done Smart Board lessons from the BBC and some of the words are different, the student from Ireland shares the meanings and her experiences. When we talk about Greece or Italy, those students share. The student who has a parent deployed writes letters to his mother during writing time. All of the students interact and share life experience throughout the day. There are many opportunities for students to interact with each other, not just their friends. For me, I found it more challenging to try and plan things around particular students based on race or cultural aspects.
One thing that I have found different from the preparation program is that teachers talk about diversity in a way that is different than what we have learned and discussed. There is not as much emphasis on this idea. I don’t think it’s because they’re not integrating it, but the fact that it seems to be very labeled and singled out in the preparation program. It seemed like in the program, there were so many great lessons and ideas to be used, but out in the field, I feel teachers lack engaging and awareness lessons. I feel the program made this idea of diversity to be misrepresented. I believe in the idea and the concepts that I have learned, but in the real world it seems very different.
I feel like there is so much to cover in an elementary classroom and not enough time to cover everything. Teachers teach to the standards and I think the standards, at least DODEAs standards, lack diversity. The most “important” subjects are emphasized and our local and global responsibilities to communities, environments, and future generations are pushed to the back.
I think it is very important for students to be learning and gaining a conceptual understanding of our world and the diverse populations that encompass it. Students need to understand the importance of local and global responsibilities and the importance of diverse cultures and communities. I also think there is a lack of this in schools, and it feels like there is such a stress over time, and a set curriculum, that teachers find it challenging to integrate and incorporate important life long knowledge that will benefit students and help to create successful citizens.
I agree with Julie on the emphasis on the standards over diversity. There is so much focus on learning the content, that sometimes diversity gets pushed to the side. It is a struggle because there is so much for them to learn and it is difficult to integrate cultural elements into mathematics.
Despite the lack of direct focus on diversity, we have kind of incorporated it using the portfolios. Students are constantly reflecting upon their dispositions. I think many times the dispositions can be directly linked to factors including home life, cultural expectations, and family prorities. So, the students are thinking about these things in an indirect way.
I also agree with Julie about the divide between our diversity training and the way it is in schools. We have a lot of direct instruction on diversity at WSU. But at the schools, it is the hidden curriculum. It isn't so much about what we teach about, but about the way we treat each other and respond in different situations.
Beth, I totally agree with how the conceptual framework is working with a diverse population in relation to both the local and global communities in a DODEAs school. Many of my students only know what it is like to live outside the U.S. and they are all very diverse, similar to your students. Even though there is a huge difference between my class and yours, there are a lot of similarities when it comes to diversity. One difference is, is that your students are able to reflect on their experiences in away that shows they are aware of the diversity and what it means to be in a foreign country. In my class on the other hand, developmentally they do not understand this abstract concept, they understand that they are in a foreign country, but some don’t know the difference.
Your example of the two students talking in German is a great example of how diverse DODEAs schools really are. It is hard to know when to draw the line when it comes to things such as this, and how to assess how much it is affecting learning. In elementary, second languages can act as a barrier for students, and sooner the better, they will need some ESL assistance.
I also agree with you on how the program ahs prepared use. It did teach use a lot of skills and the importance of it. The more we know and understand about diversity, the better we will understand learners, learning, and leadership. It has also been a challenge for me to take what I have learned and apply it to practice. It seems frustrating at times that I have develop this image of what a successful and engaging classroom is suppose to be like, but in practice it is very different.
I think it is interesting how important leadership is to you. In higher grades, this aspect becomes much more important and meaningful. Students are joining sports teams, working on bigger class projects, and working on leadership within peer groups. In elementary, students are learning how use this skill and they are working on refining it. It is so strange how your students can legally drink here and I think that is a very challenging concept to try and stop the problem before it begins. Developmentally, adolescences don’t think about future consequences, and because their Prefrontal Cortex is not fully developed, along with the rest of their brain, drinking can have severe effects on teens.
Hi Ladies,
I want to congratulate you on a thoughtful exchange of ideas. You've done a nice job responding to each other.
A couple of comments from me. Julie, your responses regarding the differences between primary and high school learners is right on target but when you refered to leadership I think you were refering to the students and there certainly are opportunities to expose children to leadership responsibilities but also, what about leadership within the profession for you?
Beth, I sympathize with your dilema. There is a fine line between creating community with your students and supporting their growth and success and not being their buddy. I think clear communication that you are their teacher and not get involved when the conversation goes to personal questions is the best advice. You need to stay consistent in the message. This is tough but is similar to in the states when kids push a teacher candidate about whether they drink, party etc. Not their business period.
We can talk more when we are together but your concerns are important.
Chris
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