In the "Poor Scholar's Soliloquy" there was a student who was struggling to meet his or her teacher's standards and gain their attention in the classroom. This child was very bright but sadly his or her teachers were not able to see that. They were too concerned with the current lesson that no one stopped to listen. If someone was to stop and pay attention to how he or she is feeling, then they could encourage the student to not give up on school. Because it seemed like, to the student, school had given up on him or her. (I also feel like this could be a girl just as much as it could be a boy speaking about their school experiences. The author never specifies on the gender, which I think is very interesting because it allows an open interpretation to the reader.)
The first issue with the instructional strategy used by these teacher is the material is not making a personal connection to the speaker. His/her history teacher made an assignment in which students had to memorize all the presidents. Of course, the speaker failed this task because it was not an authentic assessment and the task was not interesting for him/her. Other similar assignments were given to the speaker that made no personal connection, which made it harder for him/her to retain it.
The second issue with his/her teachers is none of them were paying attention to the speaker's failure. Yes, he/she failed 7th grade but it does not mean that they are stupid. The teachers need to realize that this student can understand each standard being assessed but the activities/tasks that go with each lesson need to be tailored to the multiple intelligences of the class. The speaker may not be able to understand Pythagorean theorem on paper because they could be a visual learner. It seems like it is too much instruction and not enough learning. It also makes me wonder how many other students in his/her 7th grade class are feeling the same way about school. It is sad to see a student with so much potential contemplates the idea of dropping out because of one bad year of middle school.
Reviewing the information about constructivism makes me better understand my pedagogy. I think I am a constructivist with a hint of objectivism. This student is showing all the signs of needing a constructivist teacher, while the school is showing all the red flags of only objectivism. If you give students the tools necessary to carry a conversation about air pressure during an experiment this allows cognitive and confidence growth. Teacher should want their students to make clear and confident decisions about answers to questions on tests and questions asked by their peers. Teaching is more than instruction, it is providing students with the capability to understand the world around them. Learning is more than gaining knowledge, it is the ability to understand the task/problem, ask for help, and use interpersonal skills to find a solution. With constructivism I think that students are able learn in an environment that bases activities from prior knowledge and is able to make those personal connections. There will be times when students need that push or a starting point, which the teacher can provide. But an educator should never overlook the needs of the speaker because you never know the true potential a student has until you challenge them cognitively.
TIP Model to enhance a lesson
I would need to first determine if the technology-based method offers a relative advantage. I don’t want to design a lesson and incorporate assignments that need Microsoft Publisher, if I am only using Microsoft Word in class. The purpose of technology integration is to benefit the students’ content knowledge. But that won’t happen if I have students use tools that are irrelevant to the activities’ objectives/standards.
As the teacher, I must provide confidence in my technological knowledge so I can also decide how I want to demonstrate this knowledge. I might find it easier to use a math website to help me teach multiplication because it provides a visual example. Or I believe, using the Smartboard as a visual is the better form of technology to use as a visual aid for teaching multiplication. Tech-PACK is a combination of my technological knowledge and how I want to apply it to my pedagogical strategies and content area.
I want my assessments to reflect what each individual student has learned. An interesting way for students to do this is to write a letter or create a newspaper article about the content area. During our lessons, I believe it is important to record information in either a journal or by class hand-outs. But this information can be used to assist their writing assessment at the end of the lesson. This unique assessment will allow the students to express what they have learned in their own words and it allows them to express their creative side.
I think it is best to conduct research for yourself to find out which technology works best for your grade/age. A teacher can do this by contacting the teacher of the previous grade, if he/she is in the same school, to understand the strengths and weaknesses of those students. Even though students may pass a grade does not mean that all the students are on the same page academically. Being open to change and finding new methods to use for integration strategies will help meet the needs of all students.
The best part of a lesson is the reflection because here is where a teacher can really grow as an individual. It is so important to review data and students’ work to determine if they truly comprehended the material and did not just memorize it. I think it is important to ask students their opinions about completed lessons and its strengths/weaknesses. I believe students can give the best constructive criticism because they are the ones who have the experience of each lesson. From their experiences, I can learn what to do and not do for next year’s class.