1. Exploring current issues in education.
1.1. Technology (This information was discussed in the presentation by Belina Cassie, and relates outward to all aspects of this section of the mindmap)
1.1.1. How to effectively use it in classrooms.
1.1.1.1. Use it to take digital copies of notes, for example in math class, and post them online so that students who were away for some reason that day will still have access to what they missed and not fall behind.
1.1.1.1.1. During my middle and high school years my family would always take a two week vacation during and before or after spring break. As a result this caused me to miss about four days of school, which became more and more important as I got older with the more intense schooling. In my chemistry and math classes, my teachers not only gave me my notes in advance, but also put copies up on their website with the proper steps when solving example problems. This was extremely effective for me as I didn't fall behind in those classes, classes which require actual teaching and instruction, where as my social and English classes were able to be done with readings and questions from textbooks and novels without as much teaching.
1.1.1.2. Use it for students who have difficulty understanding concepts right away.
1.1.1.2.1. A method that could be used in this situation is recording lessons, both visually and auditory so that a student could have the opportunity to go back to what they learned in class and re-learn it again at their own pace, and be capable of pausing and rewinding what is being taught.
1.1.1.3. Using it for visual examples, experimentation and kinesthetic learning.
1.1.1.3.1. For students who learn best by doing (kinesthetic), using things such as matching things on a smart board, or creating pie charts on computers with certain programs in order to visualize and learn what 1/3 or 3/8 are by doing it themselves rather than a teacher drawing a picture on the board (which also takes up time) and then just telling and explaining to students what fractions are and how they relate to the whole.
1.1.1.3.2. Technology for experimentation is very useful in schools today. By allowing for students to discover things on their own through the assistance of technology, there is a better chance that they will remember it because they learned and discovered it on their own and had to come to their own conclusions (which can be later confirmed by a teacher)
1.1.2. How it affects teaching and learning environments.
1.1.2.1. Good
1.1.2.1.1. Technology is becoming increasingly popular as time goes on. By using technology in the classroom, teachers are able to prepare their students with the skills needed to work with technology for when they enter the workplace later on in their lives.
1.1.2.1.2. Learning environments can be greatly improved upon through the use of technology. Students are able to learn in many ways at once, they can learn visually, through auditory as well as kinesthetically. This is especially proven through the SmartBoard in schools. The teacher can use visuals to teach the lesson, as well as talking and explaining what is going on. Furthermore, a teacher can allow students to come up and do things for themselves on the SmartBoard, such as creating the proper fraction on a pie chart, to imbed it in their minds even more.
1.1.2.2. Bad
1.1.2.2.1. Too much technology can be overwhelming in a classroom and therefore be ineffective. Too much stimulation for a child while in a learning environment is not always a good thing and should be monitored.
1.1.2.2.2. In my EDU 100 class, my teacher discussed how one of the student teachers she was supervising was extremely up to date on technology and had prepared a project for the students he was teaching with that technology, but when it came time for the students to complete the project none of them knew how to use the technology and didn't know what to do. Students didn't know how to use the technology that the teacher assumed they would, and therefore had to learn the program and then complete the project which took more time that what was planned by the teacher. (As discussed in class on several days, when the topic of technology use in education came up in conversation)
1.1.2.2.3. Sometimes, technology just does not work. Often, teachers rely on technology for their lessons, and when the computer decided to freeze, they are left not knowing what to do. Technology has made many people dependant on it, and as a result in some cases, teachers don't have a back up for when the technology doesn't work and then a class is wasted because the teacher didn't have a backup prepared.
1.2. LGBTQ Bullying
1.2.1. Bullying is defined as a conscious, willful, deliberate and repeated hostile activity marked by and imbalance of power, intent to harm, and/or threat of aggression. Severe bullying can lead to a feeling of terror on the part of the person being bullied. (As defined by 2012 Education Act, Alberta Education)
1.2.1.1. Many issues regarding bullying in schools and society now a days relates to prejudice towards individuals in schools who are Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender or Queer.
1.2.1.1.1. In Michael Phair's presentation he showed us a website: www.nohomophobes.com which was a website that monitored the social networking site Twitter for tweets that contained the words and phrases So Gay, No Homo, Faggot, and Dyke. The website has created graphs to show how much these words and phrases are used on only one type of social media in a day, week and of all time. The numbers for all four phrases/words are in the multimillions since the site began monitoring on July 5, 2012.
1.2.1.1.2. What Can Teachers Do About It??
1.2.1.2. There have been changes in Policy and Legislation in Canada and Alberta in regards to these issues. There is the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms(1985,1995), The Canadian Human Rights Act(1996), Same-Sex Marriage Act(2005), Alberta School Act (2012,2013), New EPSB Sexual and Gender Minority Policy (2012/13), and others.
2. Considering ways in which you can serve as an agent of change in schools and/or education.
2.1. Bring new ideas to the school you are employed at.
2.1.1. When I was in grade ten, my high school got a new principle (my high school start in grade nine). He brought many new rules with him but many good ones at that. Things around the school became more strict, such as dress code (which was very good), and missing class. He also however brought fun things with him. At the high school there is now a halloween and Christmas event day, as well as a HOWLS event day in the spring in which there are classroom competitions for the title of The Winner, it has developed further into multiple classrooms teaming up to destroy (in a nice way) the most competitive teacher in the school who seems to win every competition, regardless what grade he is teaching in that period. These event days have brought up school spirit and people attending school as it gets closer to holidays or the end of the school year.
2.1.2. Becoming a leader of a school club
2.1.2.1. Last year, my high school attended We Day, which later required us to participate in a global and community action to better society. From that, an Interact Club got started, in which we were able to serve in our community, but were also given an opportunity though Rotary for our grade twelve members to travel to Mexico for a week for a humanitarian trip. This has bettered the school, and has encouraged students to become more avid volunteers in the community and has created an environment in which students are helping those in the community but also people globally which was made possible by the humanitarian trip and Rotary forming relationships in which we are able to help one another with service projects
2.2. Use Inspiring Education Concepts (As discussed and taught in the lecture by Brent McDonough)
2.2.1. Focus on the three E's while teaching and how to develop students so that they have all three developing in them.
2.2.1.1. Engaged Thinker
2.2.1.2. Ethical Citizen
2.2.1.3. Entrepreneurial Spirit
2.2.2. Establish Focus
2.2.2.1. LESS
2.2.2.1.1. Focused o the school
2.2.2.1.2. Centered on the system
2.2.2.1.3. Focused on the content
2.2.2.1.4. Technology to support teaching
2.2.2.2. MORE
2.2.2.2.1. Focused on education
2.2.2.2.2. Centered on the learner
2.2.2.2.3. Building competencies
2.2.2.2.4. Technology to support the creation and sharing of knowledge
2.2.3. Principles
2.2.3.1. Learner Centered
2.2.3.2. Shared Responsibility and Accountability for results
2.2.3.3. Engaged Community
3. Developing a professional identity.
3.1. Determine where you stand on teaching style and characteristics. Also, what your educational philosophy you most align with.
3.1.1. Teaching Style and Characteristics (As discussed in class within the first couple weeks of the term)
3.1.1.1. Traditional (Sage on the Stage)
3.1.1.1.1. book learning
3.1.1.1.2. lack of technology
3.1.1.1.3. lecture based
3.1.1.1.4. quiet classroom
3.1.1.1.5. focus of marks not learning
3.1.1.1.6. learning shown through writing
3.1.1.1.7. sticks to lesson plan
3.1.1.1.8. teaching curriculum not students
3.1.1.2. My Teaching Style Allignment
3.1.1.2.1. I align in between the two teaching styles, and lean more towards non-traditional in what my minor will be which is physical education, and my major, which is math, leans more towards a traditional style
3.1.1.3. Non-Traditional (Guide on the Side)
3.1.1.3.1. teaching strategies and techniques
3.1.1.3.2. understand student needs
3.1.1.3.3. versatility (options)
3.1.1.3.4. student centered discipline
3.1.1.3.5. student led learning
3.1.2. Educational Philosophies
3.1.2.1. Perennialism
3.1.2.1.1. Education should be universal truths conveyed through the classics, it should be the same education for everyone. (Martin, D. & Loomis, K., 2006, pg. 46-47)
3.1.2.2. Essentialism
3.1.2.2.1. Believe that things change and people need to be taught that. Though there must be set underlying curriculum. Mastering basic and essential skills to succeed in the workplace. (Martin, D. & Loomis, K., 2006, pg. 48-49)
3.1.2.3. Progressivism
3.1.2.3.1. Giving students the freedom to create their own development. Learning by doing = project work. (Martin, D. & Loomis, K., 2006, pg. 50-51)
3.1.2.4. Existentialsim
3.1.2.4.1. Teach students how to make good choices, but students learn by the choices they make and how they do things. Student based, prepare for society. (Martin, D. & Loomis, K., 2006, pg. 52-53)
3.1.2.5. Social Reconstruction
3.1.2.5.1. Focused on social justice. Educating students to be ethical people in society = Creates citizens. (Martin, D. & Loomis, K., 2006, pg. 53-54)
3.1.2.6. MY EDUCATIONAL PHILOSOPHY
3.1.2.6.1. I align most closely with Essentialism because I believe that all students should be taught the same things but not necessarily in the same way. There should be an underlying curriculum that all students should learn in their educational careers. Furthermore, I agree with the fact that mastering basic and essential skills are required to succeed in the workplace and these skills must be taught in school to all students.
3.2. In her article, Putting What You Already Know About Teaching Into Perspective, Marleen C. Pugach delves into what it means to have been an "apprentice of observation" (pg. 20) a term coined by Dan Lortie to describe what individuals who become teachers have experienced their whole lives, they have learned from their previous educators as to what it means to become a teacher and how to effectively or ineffectively teach.
4. Understanding the structures and institutions that govern education in Alberta.
4.1. Government
4.1.1. Provincial
4.1.1.1. curriculum
4.1.1.2. funding
4.1.1.3. teacher certification
4.1.1.4. student assessment
4.1.1.5. laws
4.1.2. School Boards
4.1.2.1. Roles
4.1.2.1.1. The are the creatures of the province
4.1.2.1.2. The get their power and authority from provincial laws and regulation
4.1.2.1.3. Vary in size (usually between 7 and 15 trustees)
4.1.2.1.4. Generally open to all Canadian citizens aged 18 and older who live in the jurisdiction
4.1.2.1.5. Trustees act collectively as a corporate body
4.1.2.1.6. Boards assisted by professional administrative staff headed by a CEO, a Superintendent or a Director
4.1.2.1.7. Areas of potential tensions: budgets, personnel, facilities and programming
4.1.2.2. Types
4.1.2.2.1. Public
4.1.2.2.2. Separate
4.1.2.2.3. Francophone
4.1.2.2.4. Private
4.2. Shaping of Education
4.2.1. In Dr. Frank Peters' presentation, we went back in time to when school were first formed in Canada. When visitors from France came to Canada in the 16th and 17th centuries, they brought with them the clergy (Church people and officials) who became the ruling people of sorts, controlling orphanages, hospitals and the Church. As time went on, schools were formed and taught by the nuns, this continued as the British came to Canada as well.
4.2.2. Egerton Ryerson developed the structure for a system for universal education, and solved the problem of the idea of living a good life and being educated. He wanted standards set for teachers and curriculum. Schools to be inspected by the government, and textbooks to be chosen by the teachers.