1. Developing Your Professional Identity
1.1. By becoming aware of the assumptions and expectations you have about teaching, thus helping you discover your identity as a teacher. [Shewchuk, 2014]
1.1.1. Hidden VS. Formal Curriculum
1.1.1.1. Formal Curricula is the information that must be taught in your class. This is regulated by the Alberta Curriculum Hidden Curricula consists of societal rules, expectations, routines, and attitudes to help students succeed in a social environment. [Taylor, 1995, p. 5-6 ]
1.1.1.1.1. The Hidden Curriculum is a very important aspect of school. Students can sometimes feel left out due to not properly understanding "social norms" and can be more difficult to educate in regards to the formal curriculum if behaviour issues arise.
1.1.2. Philosophies in Teaching
1.1.2.1. The philosophy of Perrenialism is that the main focus of education should be universal truths and skills taught through the classics. Their reasoning is that everyone is born equal and should have equal opportunities and that the goal of school is to communicate truths. [Martin & Loomis, 2014]
1.1.2.2. The philosophy of Essentialism is that there are fundamental skills and understanding (such as reading or writing) that students must master before they are to acquire the knowledge of the curriculum. [Martin & Loomis, 2014]
1.1.2.3. The philosophy of Progressivism is that learning should focus on the student rather than the content. It believes in educating students to be life-long learners and strives for home-school cooperation. [Martin & Loomis, 2014]
1.1.2.3.1. I find myself to be a Progressive style teacher in the way that I think schooling should focus on the individual students and what they need to learn BEFORE class content should be communicated.
1.1.2.4. The philosophy of Existentialism focusses on self definition as well as the idea of the individual. [Martin & Loomis, 2014]
1.1.2.5. The philosophy of Social Reconstructivism is that the world must be changed and it should be done so through schools. Social Reconstructivist schools curriculum are said to help students achieve by allowing them to develop a sense of self-worth. [Martin & Loomis, 2014]
1.1.3. Theoretical Approaches to Learning
1.1.3.1. Humanism: focusses on an individuals perception of the information. They believe that there is a hierarchy of needs (often called Malslow's hierarchy of needs) that must be fulfilled if students are to be expected to learn. [Martin & Loomis, 2014]
1.1.3.1.1. http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/60/Maslow's_Hierarchy_of_Needs.svg
1.1.3.2. Behaviourism: focusses on managing behaviour to facilitate learning. [Martin & Loomis, 2014]
1.1.3.3. Information Processing: focusses on the way that the mind works by the ways it reacts to stimuli, receiving, storing, and processing information as well as short term and long term memory. [Martin & Loomis, 2014]
1.1.3.4. Constructivism: focusses on the idea that individuals are responsible for how they construct their own understanding of presented material. [Martin & Loomis, 2014]
1.1.4. Schooling VS. Education
1.1.4.1. EDUCATION refers to requiring knowledge. It is a lifelong learning process that happens at any time or place. [Taylor, 1995, p. 6 ]
1.1.4.2. SCHOOLING refers to the skills or knowledge passed on by a professional teacher in the formal institute of a school. Often strictly organized and separated into Formal and Hidden curricula. [Taylor, 1995, p. 7 ]
1.1.5. Multiple Intelligence
1.1.5.1. Multiple intelligences relates to HOW students learn They consist of musical, kinaesthetic, interpersonal, verbal, logical, naturalistic, intra-personal, and visual.
1.1.5.1.1. http://www.connectionsacademy.com/Libraries/blog/multiple-intelligences-learning-styles.jpg
2. Exploring Current Issues in Education
2.1. Critically analyse and evaluate the purpose of education and schooling as well as who it benefits by exploring religion, race and racialization, sexism, ableism, and homophobia. [Shewchuk, 2014]
2.1.1. Surface Culture VS Deep Culture
2.1.1.1. SURFACE CULTURE consists of personal expression through music, art, drama, clothing and food choices as well as how they outwardly carry and present themselves. [Shewchuk, 2014]
2.1.1.2. DEEP CULTURE consists of thoughts, feelings, religion, and superstition, concerns, hopes, fears, worries, ethics. It is not visible and cannot be determined simply by looking at an individual. [Shewchuk, 2014]
2.1.1.3. http://foxhugh.files.wordpress.com/2013/09/iceberg-model-of-culture.gif
2.1.2. Sexuality
2.1.2.1. Gay, Queer, Transgender, Gender-fluid, Bisexual,Asexual, Two-Spirit, Intersexual [Michael Phair, 2014] http://itspronouncedmetrosexual.com/2012/03/the-genderbread-person-v2-0/
2.1.2.2. Average age of Coming Out: Trans* = 15.5 Gay/Lesbian = 14-14.5 [Michael Phair, 2014]
2.1.2.3. http://itspronouncedmetrosexual.com/2012/03/the-genderbread-person-v2-0/
2.1.3. Bullying
2.1.3.1. "70% of students reported hearing “that’s so gay” every day in school, and 48% reported hearing “faggot,” “lezbo,” and “dyke” every day in school." [Michael Phair, 2014]
2.1.3.1.1. Bullying will NOT be accepted in my classroom. I believe that education as to WHY bullying Is wrong is better than simply punishing a bully by sending them outside of the classroom. [Class Discussion, 2014]
3. Understanding the Structures and Bodies which Govern Education in Alberta
3.1. Become aware of the political structures, bodies, and policies that govern teaching and K-12 schools. In doing so, any immediate misunderstandings about past and present education in Canada should be cleared up. [Shewchuk, 2014]
3.1.1. ATA
3.1.1.1. "The Association is the professional organization of teachers in Alberta. Its objectives are set out in the Teaching Profession Act." [http://www.teachers.ab.ca/About%20the%20ATA/Pages/default.aspx, November 25th,2014] The Alberta Teachers Association works as a formal institution with a set of rules and regulation to which all professional teachers must abide, as well as resources to aid teachers. [http://www.teachers.ab.ca/About%20the%20ATA/Pages/default.aspx, November 25th,2014]
3.1.1.1.1. The Code of Professional Conduct is an existing document easily accessible online that clearly illustrates the expectations and standards of the teaching profession. It breaks the article into sections in relation to pupils, colleges, school authorities and the profession itself. [Retrieved from http://www.teachers.ab.ca/About%20the%20ATA/UpholdingProfessionalStandards, Viewed on November 25th, 2014}
3.1.1.1.2. The Declaration of Teachers' Rights and Responsibility is a component of the Constitution of the ATA and states "The Alberta Teachers' Association holds that teachers are entitled to the following rights and must accept the corresponding responsibilities." [ Retrieved from: http://www.teachers.ab.ca/Teaching%20in%20Alberta/Becoming%20a%20Teacher, Viewed on November 25th,2014 ]
3.1.1.1.3. http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-vf6jS7EVPhY/Uaf853LMyPI/AAAAAAAAEh4/SHBRH6bOEmc/s1600/595_10151695166824365_2085099841_n.jpg
3.1.2. Classroom Management Styles
3.1.2.1. Student Directed Management Theory - Students are allowed to make many decisions about the learning in the class and how it will be taught. Teacher Directed Management Theory -teachers decide how they will teach the material and are in charge of teaching. Collaborative Management Theory -Teacher facilitates learning but students have options and help shape the way in which learning is accomplished [Levin, Nolan, Kerr, Elliott, 2012]
3.1.2.1.1. Collaborate Management Theory is the most effective in my opinion because it allows both student driven and teacher driven. This means that the curriculum can still be taught while important teacher student relationships are built.
3.1.2.1.2. In my opinion, Collaborative Management Theory is the most effective because while the teacher can teach the curriculum while still making
3.1.3. WebQuest Scavenger Hunt
3.1.3.1. The Scavenger Hunt gave us resources to which we can access at any point in our teaching career. With documents such as the new Education Act and when it will be implemented, as well as a link to the ATA homepage. The documents helped us become better education about the systems that govern teaching and K-12 schools.
3.1.3.1.1. The scavenger hunt was particularly helpful because though we may not need the linked documents now, we may need them later in