1. Developing Professional Identity
1.1. Becoming a Reflective Teacher
1.1.1. Qualities
1.1.1.1. Openmindedness. “Keep an open mind about the content, methods, and procedures used in your classroom.” (Grant & Zeichner, 1984)
1.1.1.2. Responsibility “You have an obligation to consider their consequences in relation to the lives of the students you have accepted the responsibility to teach.” (Grant & Zeichner, 1984)
1.1.1.3. Wholeheartedness “If you’re a reflective teacher, your teaching behaviour is a manifestation of your teaching philosophy and you are unswerving in your desire to make certain that the two become one and the same.” (Grant & Zeichner, 1984)
1.1.2. Actions to Take
1.1.2.1. Learn how to reflect, adapt, and make choices based on our ever changing society, applying your knowledge to any situation, classroom, or specific student, engage reflectively outside of the classroom, find a balance between your thoughts and actions, bringing your life and university experience into the classroom, discriminate between well justified beliefs and assumptions, reading and observing in other perspectives and awareness of alternatives, consequences of your beliefs, your actions affecting the classroom, actions versus reactions
1.1.3. Values of becoming reflective
1.1.3.1. Allows us to reflect on our own beliefs and values, incorporate out of school experience inside of the classroom, giving ourselves our own training, shape your occupation identity, compare and contrast, develop an independent mind, coping with change, make all students feel equal
1.1.4. Figuring out what type of classroom
1.1.4.1. Perennialism
1.1.4.1.1. Curriculum determined by society, education should be based on universal truth, mastery of content and development of reasoning, truth is the same for all people, learn what is created and use it in daily life (Martin & Loomis, 2007).
1.1.4.2. Essentialism
1.1.4.2.1. Basic skills and knowledge students must master, “Back to Basics” approach, teacher transmits the knowledge, students are to learn content and skills taught and execute knowledge through exams (Martin & Loomis, 2007).
1.1.4.3. Progressivism
1.1.4.3.1. Focus should be on students rather than content, and material should be meaningful, Dewey: real problems and meaningful questions solved through scientific method, free to develop theories and conclusions, progressivist movement, curriculum based on needs of students, develop understanding through investigations (Martin & Loomis, 2007).
1.1.4.4. Existentialism
1.1.4.4.1. Students are responsible for defining themselves, “Beauty is in the eye of the beholder”, students determine what they need to study, guided by the teacher, existentialist classroom (Martin & Loomis, 2007).
1.1.4.5. Social Reconstructionism
1.1.4.5.1. Society is always being reconstructed due to the changing needs, social reconstructionist belief, roles of schools and teachers, democratic consensus of students, social problems to be focus of curriculum, traditional subjects into thematic interdisciplinary units, students and teacher uncover problems, students agree on topic and study through internet, case studies, aspect studying and solutions, developing sense of self-worth for students, experiential learning activities, community needs and goals of social reform (Martin & Loomis, 2007).
1.2. Personal Commitments and Beliefs
1.2.1. "To become a professional teacher requires re-examination and transformation of what is already known about school" (Pugach, 2006).
1.2.2. We must try and improve the generations of the future, become role models, foster social justice and equity, and think critically. (Pugach, 2006).
1.3. Goal of Teacher Education
1.3.1. Address your misconceptions, scrutinize your own knowledge and reflection, question your beliefs, and reflect upon your own professional experience. (Pugach, 2006).
1.4. Theories of Educational Psychology
1.4.1. Behaviourism
1.4.1.1. Interacting with external environment using external stimuli and de-emphasis of free will. (Leung, 2015).
1.4.1.1.1. Pavlov: Classical conditioning: we can change and create any desire or behaviour (Leung, 2015).
1.4.1.1.2. Skinner: Operant conditioning: increases likelihood of behaviour being repeated; positive and negative reinforcement. Decreases likelihood of behaviour being repeated, through positive and negative punishment (Leung, 2015).
1.4.2. Information Processing
1.4.2.1. Cognitive, through internal processing of information, process of receiving and processing (or learning/deciphering) information (Leung, 2015).
1.4.3. Constructivism
1.4.3.1. People actively construct their own meaning by internalizing/personalizing new and old information. Everyone learns information differently (Leung, 2015).
1.4.4. Humanism
1.4.4.1. We motivate ourselves to learn when we are interested. We must fulfill a buildup of needs for our students in life and they will be better able to focus in the classroom. Once they receive these needs, they will be able to strive and flourish fully (Leung, 2015).
2. Exploring current issues in Education
2.1. Providing Welcoming, Caring, Respectful and Safe Learning Environments. (Missal, 2105)
2.1.1. Relationships are important among adults, between adults and students, and among students. There are different practices we can follow in order to enhance our relationships, such as mentoring, behaviour support, and social/emotional literacy. (Missal, 2015)
2.1.2. Leadership is key. We must team build, uphold rights and responsibilities, and use power in a positive matter. (Missal, 2015)
2.1.3. We should be using restorative practices for discipline, in that implementing specific practices that are proactive for the teacher and reactive for the student. (Missal, 2015)
2.1.4. We must use restorative principles, such as relationships, putting an emphasis on harm done rather than the rule that was broken, taking responsibility for our actions while holding ourselves accountable, involving and engaging all students, and using collaborative problem solving. (Missal, 2015)
2.1.5. We can use discussion circles and community conferences to aid us towards restoration. (Missal, 2015)
2.2. Homophobia
2.2.1. “Homophobia is a pervasive problem in schools” (Walton, 2004, p. 27-28).
2.2.1.1. As educators, we must minimize the divide and 'discomfort' associated with sexual orientation and gender.
2.2.1.1.1. “As long as homophobia remains unaddressed, ‘safe spaces’ only exist for some students and not others” (Walton, 2004, p. 29)
2.2.1.1.2. “Teachers and administrators are key leaders in forming such a culture; few have taken up the challenge” (Walton, 2004, p. 30)
2.2.1.1.3. “…The Board agreed to promote equity for marginalized students on the basis of racism, sexism, homophobia, classism, and ableism” (Walton, 2004, p. 27)
2.2.1.1.4. “Astute educators can use incidents of homophobia as ‘teachable moments’ for education, thereby modeling a pro-LGBT climate in the classroom” (Walton, 2004, p. 32)
2.2.2. “Homophobia, like racism and sexism, manifests as violence perpetrated by an individual or group but links to larger social realms of politics, public policy, legal structures, and institutional processes.” (Walton, 2004, p. 30)
2.2.2.1. It's not just the students...
2.2.2.1.1. “Acts of homophobia against students is even perpetrated by a few teachers and administrators” (Walton, 2004, p. 28)
2.2.3. “Straightness is imbued with the status of being ‘normal’ and ‘natural’ not only through gender socialization but through construction of sexual otherness as inferior” (Walton, 2004, p. 26)
2.2.3.1. From birth, we are socialized to believe that being straight is the 'right' or 'normal' way. We start to believe that if someone 'strays away' from what we believe is norm, that we are superior. As educators, we must make an effort to discard straight as a 'norm' and let everyone know there's no 'norm' when it comes to sexuality, and everyone is in fact the same. There are no inferiors or superiors.
2.3. Bullying
2.3.1. “Bullying is considered a relation of power of one or more individuals over another with attacks that are repetitive and intend to harm” (Walton, 2004, p. 26)
2.3.2. “Bullying is defined as a conscious, willful, deliberate and repeat hostile activity marked by an 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” (Alberta Education Act, 2012).
2.4. LGBTQ Issues
2.4.1. Helps to create a safe and caring classroom for people being called queer, gay, transgender, homophobe, fag (Phair, 2014).
2.4.1.1. 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. (As cited in Phair, 2014)
2.4.1.2. 17% of students reported hearing homophobic comments, and 20% reported hearing negative gender-related or transphobic comments from their teachers daily. (As cited in Phair, 2014)
2.4.2. Majority of Canadians agree that homophobia is wrong and should be challenged (Phair, 2014).
2.4.3. What should we do as Educators? Reflect on our own personal experiences, establish safe places for harmed students, use inclusive language, LGBTQ inclusive curriculum, normalize sexual and gender minority realities. Most importantly, we should be creating a classroom that promotes acceptance and values, while using books, films, and visual aids such as posters oto support LGBTQ (Phair, 2014).
2.5. Socialization as an Issue
2.5.1. “We have been socialized into the norms of our culture, norms that regulate these aspects of social life. Socialization begins at birth and continues throughout life. Indeed, the forces of socialization are gathering even before birth when our families begin to project their hopes, dreams, and expectations onto our lives. The clearest example of this cultural education is the process of gender socialization” (Sensoy & DiAngelo, 2012, p. 15).
2.5.1.1. “Social, psychological and material rewards exist for conformity; such as social acceptance, being treated as ‘normal’ and career progression.” (Sensoy & DiAngelo, 2012)
2.5.1.2. “Conversely, penalties exist for non-conformity” (Sensoy & DiAngelo, 2012,)
2.5.1.2.1. However, Gerald Taylor holds a completely different point of view. He believes socialization is needed for children to be fully adaptable and functioning within society. They must accept and follow the norm, and that is how they will flourish. He chooses a functionalist perspective when he states that "it provides an important and persuasive interpretation of what education is about. It is appropriately built on the premise that education is inescapably social in both nature and purpose" (Taylor, 1995, p.164).
2.5.2. “Because we are taught that sex and gender differences are natural, we rarely notice how much we have been socialized into them.” (Sensoy & DiAngelo, 2012, p. 17)
2.5.2.1. “Gender refers to the roles, behaviours, and expectations our culture assign to those bodily differences: how you are “supposed” to feel and act based on whether your body is seen as female or male” (Sensoy & DiAngelo, 2012, p. 17)
2.5.3. “Like gender, many other aspects of our socialization are also invisible to us”. (p. 17)
2.6. Social Justice
2.6.1. Very broad concept that can be interpreted in many ways
2.6.2. Should be taught in a progressive manner, emotionally and age appropriate
2.6.2.1. Deciding how to educate and integrate social justice should be a combination of educators and parents. Teachers should work with parents and know their students. Understand your students.
2.6.3. It’s important to build a perspective emotionally while they are still young, and once they get to a certain age, they are able to build their own opinion.
2.6.4. “It’s not so much whether a political issue needs to be discussed, but when” (As cited by Reynolds, 2012)
2.6.5. Allowing students to build their own perspective and think critically on certain ideas is vital.
2.6.5.1. “The idea is to encourage kids to become critical analysts of contemporary issues, empathetic defenders of human rights and gatekeepers of the beleaguered Earth” (Reynolds, 2012)
2.7. Racism
2.7.1. Even though as a country we have been moving away from a race based immigration policy, this doesn't necessarily mean that as a nation we have ridded racism completely. Racism is rooted in stereotypes that ranges from an individual to an institutional level. Active races seek to maintain dominance, but eventually visible minorities will become majority.
2.7.2. White privilege
2.7.2.1. Hidden, transparent, and difficult to address
2.7.2.2. As a white person, I realized I had been taught about racism as something that puts others at a disadvantage, but had been taught not to see one of its corollary aspects, white privilege, which puts me at an advantage. I think whites are carefully taught not to recognize white privilege, as males are taught not to recognize male privilege (McIntosh, 1992).
2.7.2.2.1. Think about law enforcement, style of dress, cosmetics, even bandaids. White people have been in control for such long periods of time, that they have in fact determined what is and isn't valuable.
2.7.2.2.2. As a result and possible prevention, educators and schools are starting to celebrate special occasions of race, such as Black History Month, and Chinese New Year.
2.8. Special Needs Education
2.8.1. In the Alberta School Act, each resident and enrolled student with identified special education needs is provided with access to a special education program. Parents work with boards to ensure special education needs are met. (Loerke, 2015)
2.8.1.1. More often than not, special needs student's are excluded by their peers in school due to the fact these peers believe they are superior. More schools are starting to adopt a support group for special needs students and their parents.
2.8.1.1.1. According to the Alberta School Act, the school board must ensure that all students requiring special education have access to it. Parents can work with the school to provide any assistance or needs that may arise. (Loerke, 2015).
2.8.2. IPP - Individualized Program Plan - plan to address special education needs, providing: assessment data, performance and achievement data, goals and objectives, transition plans, support services, and medical information (Loerke, 2015).
3. Considering ways in which you can serve as an agent of change in schools and education
3.1. Inclusion
3.1.1. Developing an Inclusive Environment in Alberta (Inspiring Education, 2012).
3.1.1.1. Knowing and realizing that every student is different, and every student will feel accomplishment in a different way. For one student it may be putting in extra hours of reading, while for other students it might be mastering a grammar test.
3.1.1.2. We must pay attention to how a student develops their confidence and upholds/presents themselves, and tend to those characteristics.
3.1.1.3. Figuring out what the goals are for each student, and helping them achieve success - no matter how long it takes to accomplish.
3.2. Leadership
3.2.1. "The successful teacher is one who can move from direct instruction to hands on project work" (Luke, 2012)
3.2.2. "Good teaching is like dancing" (Luke, 2012)
3.2.2.1. Here, Luke is explaining to us that even though dancing has a lot of complex moves, how we use them all depends upon our partner. Being able to shift our repertoire from dancer to dancer shows strength in the field. In this situation, the dancers are our students. We must be able to transition from interactive studies to worksheet studies and vice versa. We also must know what each student's strength and weaknesses are and tend to them. Everyone learns differently than their peers.
3.3. Technology
3.3.1. Integrating technology into the classroom can be difficult. This day in age, we can't think that we will be able to lecture or teach without technology. It is a requirement in today's classrooms and as educators we are given many resources to aid us in a smooth integration. Being in secondary study with a major of English Language Arts, I read up on Secondary English Language Arts Activity Types.
3.3.1.1. "...full range of student learning activities to consider when building lessons that aim to integrate technology effectively" (Young, Hofer, & Harris, 2011).
3.3.1.1.1. There are many ways to integrate technology into an ELA classroom for specific areas of study.
3.3.2. TPACK
3.3.2.1. Technology, pedagogy and content knowledge (Harris & Hofer, 2009).
3.3.2.1.1. Harris and Hofer discuss five basic instructional decisions that will allow us to plan certain learning events and goals.
3.4. Inner City Youth
3.4.1. Many students are unable to finish highschool for reasons we may not understand. Getting involved with the wrong crowd, or even growing up in a stingy neighbourhood where you believe it is socially acceptable to drop out of school are just a few reasons why some aren't motivated. Thankfully Alberta provides inner city school programs for these types of students.
3.4.1.1. These programs are completely open to any students and any help they might need to graduate. They are compassionate and understanding of problems and obstacles, and want you to succeed no matter how long it may take. They are accepting of those who have dropped out or been expelled from other schools. Most of these students come around and eventually graduate. (Loerke, 2015)
3.4.1.1.1. Teachers who choose to teach in inner city high schools don't use this as a mode of stepping stone or for a plus on their resume. They do this because they truly care about their communities and want to have an impact and be a force for change. They genuinely want students to succeed and flourish, no matter how long it takes them to get there.
3.5. Relational Ethics
3.5.1. Finding and merging students across different cultures, and realizing we must develop a proper relationship with our students before we can give them a proper education. (Piquemal, 2004).
3.5.1.1. A relational teacher basis their thoughts off of freedom and equality, and has a need to fulfill a relationship responsibility, they are very aware of differences and no matter what they stay fair and respectful. (Piquemal, 2004). She goes into discussion and detail about four relational ethics.
3.5.1.1.1. 1. Commitment to difference (Levinas) Throughout this ethic, we value differences. No one is expected to be the same and we must learn to co exist in order to develop an ethical relationship. We aren't to destruct other's identities or marginalize our students (Piquemal, 2004).
3.5.1.1.2. 2. Respect for persons (Kant) We must have a commitment to location and the students within that location (Piquemal, 2004).
3.5.1.1.3. 3. A commitment to reciprocity (Buber) We must find things in common and develop a sense of community in our classrooms, while understanding cultural contexts (Piquemal, 2004).
3.5.1.1.4. 4. Sense of care (Noddings) We must embody a holistic view of teaching and be considerate of students needs (Piquemal, 2004).
3.5.1.2. Students are passive and teachers aren't to be dispensers of knowledge. We must develop a relationship with our students while taking into consideration culture and relations. We must let our ethics guide our principles.
4. Understanding structures and institutions that govern education in Alberta
4.1. ATA (Alberta Teacher's Association)
4.1.1. 6 Criteria of the teaching profession 1. There is a discrete body of knowledge that separates the group from all others. 2. There is a formal period of preparation and a requirement for continuous growth and development in the field 3. There is a large degree of autonomy accorded to the profession 4. There is a high level of cooperation amongst the members achieved through a professional association. 5. The profession influences and has control over education standards, admissions, licensing, professional development, ethical and performance standards and professional discipline. 6. The profession serves a higher, greater social purpose. (ATA, 2015)
4.1.2. Teaching Quality Standard includes knowledge, skills, and attributes that teachers must demonstrate for certification in Alberta. Teachers must teach in a manner that respects the dignity and rights of all persons prejudice as to race, religious beliefs, colour, gender, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, physical characteristics, age, ancestry, place of origin, place of residence, socioeconomic background of linguistic background. (ATA, 2015)
4.1.3. Maintains and raises professional standards, improves quality of education, protects rights, provides services to members, stewards of profession, and are advocates for public education.
4.2. Clergy
4.2.1. Schools are ran by the church
4.2.2. Needed orphanages to support settlers, while many mothers died during child birth. Clergy acted as the authority
4.3. Pillars of Education in Alberta
4.3.1. Decision making would be locally rather than one central church or authority. School and health were to be taken as a matter at the provincial level, while federally the government were given responsibilities of schools in First Nations and the Territories. (Peters, 2015)
4.3.1.1. Public, Separate, Francophone and Hutterite schools are now all funded. In Alberta, there is partial funding for Private schools, and Religious schools are now welcome. Education is a provincial matter or authority rather than National.
4.4. Structures of Legislation
4.4.1. Ministry of Education The Education Act details the powers of local authorities and the province. The freedom of local boards is constrained by the provincial ministry who authorize curriculums and approve new facilities. The School Act describes relationship of Minister to students and provides the system of administration and financing while dealing with the minister to respect constituents in the educational system. (Loerke, 2015)
4.4.1.1. Minister of Education - member of cabinet appointed by the premier. Approves decisions on certification of teachers. Ministers determine how a province sets long term educational policy. (Loerke, 2015)
4.4.1.2. Cabinet - sector of government which directs and plans
4.4.1.3. Deputy Minister plans and oversees the finance and curriculum development, assessment, language programs and construction of new buildings. (Loerke, 2015)
4.4.2. School Boards (Local Level)
4.4.2.1. School Trustees handle day to day administration, hire and pay personnel, develop transport and physical facilities, set budgets, modify provincial curriculum. (Loerke, 2015)
4.4.2.2. Public School Boards Association is a not for profit organization. They are advocates for public education and maintains relations with province. (Loerke, 2015)
4.4.2.3. School Councils are partners in learning and involving parents. (Loerke, 2015)
4.4.3. ATA (Alberta Teachers Association
4.4.3.1. Serves both professional and union functions. All school teachers are required to be members. (Loerke, 2015)
4.4.3.2. Handle governance, member service, professional development and teacher welfare. (Loerke, 2015)
4.4.4. Colleges and Universities
4.4.4.1. Currently, there are 6 in Alberta. Faculties of Education are charged with pre service teacher education and post graduate studies in education. Some colleges specialize in components of education but may not grant degrees. (Loerke, 2015)