Professor Sharon

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100 Day Project – Day 50 – Joy

October 27th, 2011 · 100 Days Project, Children, College students, Education, Musings, Teaching & Learning

100 Day Project – Day 50 – 10:01 pm

Here’s the dictionary definition of “joy:”

joy

[joi]

noun

1. the emotion of great delight or happiness  caused by something exceptionally good or satisfying; keen pleasure; elation: She felt the joy of seeing her son’s success.
2. a source or cause of keen pleasure or delight; something or someone greatly valued or appreciated: Her prose style is a pure joy.
3. the expression or display of glad feeling; festive gaiety.
4. a state of happiness or felicity.
verb (used without object)

5. to feel joy; be glad; rejoice.
Today a guest speaker came to my Creative Experiences for Young Children class at my community college.  We sang children’s songs together for over an hour: we giggled, we laughed, we mixed up hand motions, we marched up and down with the Grand Old Duke of York, we cried over Puff, and – don’t tell the students – probably even bonded a little as friends.   This is the glue of learning.  This is the moment I continuously attempt to capture for my students — that, yes, indeed there are goals, there are objectives, there are standards, there are important reasons to do what we do in the classroom with and for young children.  One enormous important reason to do it all goes beyond that: the joy of learning, the joy of life, the joy of living, the joy of laughter, the joy of friendship and holding one another’s hands when Puff slides into his cave and childhood might be left behind.  Today I’m thinking about joy (and I wish it for all of you).  I hope you learn something tomorrow and the day after that, and the day after that….

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100 Day Project – Day 50 – Access, yet again

October 26th, 2011 · 100 Days Project, College students, Education, Important People, Musings, Teaching & Learning, Work

100 Day Project – Day 50 – 9:12 am

The President of my college and work place says it eloquently on my behalf today:

 

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100 Day Project – Day 49 – access and equity

October 25th, 2011 · 100 Days Project, Children, College students, family, Musings, Teaching & Learning, Work

100 Day Project – Day 49 – 8:32 pm

A few thoughts and moments occurred today that I’m thinking must be related somehow.  In one of my Education courses, the students were exploring the printing with various objects (process vs product) in creative experiences.  The topic came up of whether food should be used in the early childhood classroom as an art supply, such as printing with cut in half potatoes.  My own personal and professional belief is that food is food.  I know that many artists use food; but my argument is that those artists are adults.  Children see us use food, their parents see us use food and it’s my belief that I am sending a message that food is unimportant.  Access to food is a class issue, an access to equity social justice issue for me.

The other moment was a story I heard on NPR about Child Services in any states removing Native Children from their homes.  I was driving and at one point I heard that 33 children were removed from a village of only 1400 people.  The journalist told the story of trumped up charges against a mother whose four children were then removed from her home.  In fact, the charges were so trumped up, they never even charged her with anything.  I was speechless while listening to this story.  I rarely find it hard to drive while I listen to the radio, but this story really shocked me.  Access and equity to fair laws, to raise our children the way we wish, and to be told the truth.   Social justice issue through and through.

This doesn’t speak well to how I could tie them together; but I know in my heart they are tied together.  With the Occupy/99% movement attempting to take haold; I worry that noone in America is paying attention to the real true facts that not only do only 1% have the wealth; but I’m beginning to think that only 1% have access to equity and fair treatment.  That is what I’m thinking about tonight.

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100 Day Project – Day 48 – The need to learn

October 24th, 2011 · 100 Days Project, College students, Education, Learning Spanish, Teaching & Learning, Work

100 Day Project – Day 48 – 8:08 pm

First, if by any chance you were counting, I’m sure I’ve miscounted again!  Since I tend to miss writing on the weekends; I decided I’ll just count the next day I write, not the days of the week!  I haven’t missed more than two days in a row, so I guess if it makes sense to me, that’s all that matters – so sorry to bore you with that one!

This week is Open Classroom week at the community college where I teach.  Faculty have volunteered to open their classrooms to other faculty.  The purpose is not for observation or evaluation, but simply to share teaching and its challenges and pleasures.  I have a full week and today was the only day I could visit others; so I attended an Intermediate Algebra class and a Human Growth and Development class.  I picked up quite a few little ideas, such as buckets of items at each table for those who “forget” (extra pens, ruler, etc.)  This was in the math class and contained math tools, but it seems like a good idea that I think I’ll try out in one of my classes.  In the other, I was fascinated by the professor’s use of PowerPoint and presentation of materials.

I was reminded that I really need to do something about my terribly rusty, and honestly, none existant math skills as a learner myself.  I keep thinking about taking a refresher course; and I think I’ll try to get it in this spring.  The morning hours spent doing this chore makes me think about how much time I spend figuring out ways to teach material to these students who are so spread out along the learning spectrum.  (We are a state supported, open door college.)  This is an okay thing, but I was thinking about how much I wished I could have more time to learn myself.  To improve my math skills, return to my study of Spanish, finally learn how to play the autoharp.  How will I solve this dilemma?  Today I’m thinking about me as a learner who wants to learn.  Tomorrow I’ll be thinking about me as teacher as I have several colleagues coming to visit my Open Classroom!

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100 Day Project – Day 46 – Assessment

October 21st, 2011 · 100 Days Project, College students, Education, Important People, Teaching & Learning, Work

100 Day Project – Day 46 – 7:18 pm

Today, at the community college where I work, I had the great fortune to spend the day in a workshop with Barbara Walvoord.    It was an excellent workshop about Curriculum Mapping.  The overarching task I’m not so fond of — each department/division/program at the school – is being asked to curriculum map their program and create a connection to the college’s larger general education competencies.  I don’t disagree with the need for the task, just that it’s another large task on top of so many others.

Like so many institutions, each of us is already doing two jobs, so it’s challenging to find time to add another item to the in-pile.  This aside, I find her a great teacher — our Dean, in introducing her, called her “a teacher’s teacher” — and she is indeed.  To attend an all day workshop at the end of a week where I put in three 12-hour days was not something I looked forward to doing.  I really learned a good deal, I’m excited by the task, even if I don’t see any way around the challenge of finding the time to complete it.

Assessment gets a dirty rap — presented the way Dr. Walvoord presents it wipes it off and shows it for the useful tool, done authentically, that it can be for a teacher to support a learner’s journey to learning well.  Today I’m thinking about Assessment.

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100 Day Project – Day 45 – Power of Mentoring

October 20th, 2011 · 100 Days Project, Children, Important People, Musings, Teaching & Learning, Volunteer, Work

100 Day Project – Day 45 – 9;05 p.m.

Become a Big.  Do you want to make a difference in the world?  Yes, you could donate some money, bring some cans to the food bank, donate your old clothes, your old car, and put coins in the red bucket during the holidays.  These are good things; but I’m telling you being a Big Sister or Big Brother makes a donation that will last a lifetime – someone else’s.

Tonight I spent a few hours carving out pumpkins with my Little at the local chapter office of Big Brothers/Big Sisters. We talked about school on the drive there, and while we carved, we talked about Halloween, cats, pumpkin whoppie pies, pizza, cool friends, and the rock climbing opportunity her elementary school was giving her tomorrow.  We’ve been a match for two years: getting together twice a month for two years isn’t really a lot; just like the cans, or the old car or the coins aren’t a whole lot.

But I know that my Little is getting a glimpse at something different, at a possibility of other choices when she’s older, and at a different way to interact with life:  helping her learn to say please and thank you and eat with a napkin may be a small thing, but it lasts a lifetime.  Teaching and learning at its finest, at its sweetist, at its finest.  I wish every adult would find a Little: today I’m thinking about the power of mentoring.

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100 Day Project – Day 44 – Risk taking

October 19th, 2011 · 100 Days Project, Children, family, Musings, Work

100 Day Project – Day 44 – 9:30 p.m.

This evening I had occasion to have dinner with three other very bright, and devoted women: women who have worked for years with young children and their families.  Discussion ranged from jobs and families to the state of politics, and about children.  This recent study was one of the topics we discussed: the harm  done to young children when they are exposed to excessive television.

My question this evening is this:  who will be the leaders thirty years from now when all of the children who have been raised surrounded by technology all are showing the effects of too much technology?  Or will it matter?  We know what’s best for children: there’s a plethora of research that shows us that the outdoors, being read to and playing with toys and pots and pans and friends are what make for healthy and happy adults.  But, apparently we’re willing, as a nation and individual families, to take a risk that too much technology won’t do much damage.  Especially when technology takes the place of play and the outdoors and social interactions with friends.  Today I’m thinking about taking the wrong kind of risk.

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100 Day Project – Day 42 – Motivation

October 17th, 2011 · 100 Days Project, College students, Teaching & Learning, Work

100 Day Project – Day 42 – 8:16 p.m.   (If you’re paying attention I skipped Days 40 and 41 over the weekend.)

An interesting internet road happened today:   First my usual email newsletter blast from Child Care Exchange about Creativity.   From there I decided to follow their link to  The 99% website that seems to be about good ideas in the world of business.  But, I really went there because I was fascinated by the article recommended by Child Care Exchange having to do with “Why you can’t buy creativity.”

The article looks at the difference between intrinsic and extrinsic motivation in the business world.   This is fascinating in my teaching for two reasons: one having to do with beginning college students that I work with in my Study Skills course, and the other with the career those in my early childhood education courses are choosing to pursue.

With Study Skills students, I have to support, teach and figure out a way to help students understand the intrinsic rewards for working hard in college to get to their goals (whatever their career choice will be).  In early childhood, if children are taught only the value of extrinsic rewards: the sticker, the lollypop, the smile from teacher or parent, it’s a bit challenging to think they are going to figure out intrinsic rewards in the blink of an eye once they get to college.

With early childhood students, the reward has more to do with the fact that they won’t get paid what they are worth – at least not in the US.  So, they absolutely need to work with young children for the intrinsic reward and value of that work.

I have to spend my day prepping classes for students who need support sorting out the motivations for their choice of career.   How odd.  I never quite thought of it this way before.   And, so it verifies for me why the struggle to help students see these differences can be so challenging.  Today I’m thinking about motivation.

 

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100 Day Project – Day 39 – Quality

October 15th, 2011 · 100 Days Project, Children, College students, Education, Quote of the Week, Teaching & Learning, Work

100 Day Project – Day 39 – the next day at 6:34…..

“It is important to ask and answer this question:  What do students need to know and be able to do “out there” as a result of their work in our classrooms.”     Ruth Stiehls   The Outcomes Primer

Exactly!  I ask myself this constantly.  At times this is the source of the reason I work for such long hours.  A standardized multiple choice test is about content, not about application.  In caring for young children, very rarely is there a multiple choice in the moment when a small person needs her/his needs met immediately.  Although the consequences for me are long hours, and exhaustion, as I create new scenarios, new applications in the classroom, new ways to write and think about the content, the payoff is quality care of young children.  This is what my students need to know and be able to do “out there:”  care for the leaders of tomorrow.  Today I’m thinking about one aspect of quality.

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100 Day Project – Day 38 – Light bulbs

October 13th, 2011 · 100 Days Project, Children, College students, Musings, Teaching & Learning

100 Day Project – Day 38 – 8:56 pm

There were two lightbulb moments today: one for a student, and one for me.   An Introduction to Early Childhood Student had a really obvious lightbulb moment.  I ask students to have Reading Talks.  They have read an assignment, responded to it in writing and come prepared to discuss in a small group in class.   This student really did the light up moment — got very excited and shared that moment with the small group.  And wonderful, for me the teacher, she was willing to repeat it to the whole group.  Her moment involved really thinking for the first time about the reality of “teaching” versus “facilitating a child’s learning.”  It was a wonderful moment for her – and for me.

My lightbulb is a little harder to explain, having to do with how I redirect a student’s idea of interacting with a child.  It was the Creative Experiences in the Arts for Young Children class and in playing “Where is Thumbkin” together, a student expressed concern that children would know what holding up the middle finger would mean and we shouldn’t use the song because of that.  It would be too complicated to figure out how to write up the exchange in class around this issue completely.  It was a great discussion.  The lightbulb moment had to do with my watching myself try to support a student’s thinking but at the same time “correcting” that thinking. Really, one cannot give up singing or exposing children to everything just because we decide it has some message or is “inapproprite” – and in my opinion, mostly because the teacher finds it uncomfortable.  So it’s not easy to explain, but I know that I need to watch my responses to students in these moments and figure out if they are okay, too light, or too heavy handed.

Two light bulbs on a Thursday – a long dreary weather Thursday is a good thing.  Today I’m think about the light.

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