Statement of Informed Beliefs - Weebly



Statement of Informed BeliefsMichele Dimond College of Southern IdahoEDUC 204: Families, Communities, and CultureSpring 2014Instructor: Evin FoxStatement of Informed BeliefsTeaching a student to learn will never be an easy task, however, there can be many intrinsic rewards for teachers and students alike. As a teacher, I would be privileged to help students learn and develop, watch their excitement as they master new concepts, and receive enjoyment from my love of working with young children. I want to be a positive influence in the lives of others and help guide them to success. As an educator, I must recognize that each individual student’s ability to learn is varied. It is my responsibility to guide each student toward success. As a teacher, I will need to have knowledge of each student and what might affect his/her ability to learn. I will need to be an advocate for the learner. In this essay, I will outline what may affect students’ ability to learn, the students’ social ecology theory, cultural diversity instruction, and curriculum for all learners. Students’ Ability to LearnThere are many factors that might influence a child’s ability to learn. As a teacher, it is important that I have classroom expectations that are flexible to meet the learning styles of each student. I would have the expectation that each child can learn in any setting. It would be up to the student and I to work together to meet this expectation and find the setting that works best for that child. There is a need for the teacher to use developmentally appropriate curriculum. Each age group develops at a different level and what might work for a 2nd grade classroom, will not be appropriate for a kindergarten classroom. It is my responsibility to provide curriculum that will motivate, instruct, and promote learning for each student. As the teacher, I must engage students’ interest in learning by providing, simplified, tasks that are manageable and help motivate students toward the final learning outcome. I will also need to make sure students know what is expected of them in the classroom. It will be necessary to be able to adapt those expectations to meet the needs of each student. I must realize that each student is diverse in his or her learning. In early childhood education, one should approach teaching with a combination of teacher-directed instruction and learner-directed instruction. Teacher-directed instruction provides the material in small, progressive amounts. Learning is reinforced until there is mastery shown. Immediate feedback and repetition are given to each child. This approach was developed by Carl Bereiter and Siegfried Engelmann. It emphasizes hard work, focused attention, and achievement in basic subject of reading and math (Berns, 2013). In Learner-directed instruction, the teacher is there to direct when needed and provide materials but the students are mostly responsible for their own education. Teachers must have knowledge of their students and decide when to best direct them or leave them alone. As the teacher, I will provide needed material to promote daily living, sensory development, and academic development. The child will learn real, everyday skills. Lev Vygotsky developed the term Zone of proximal development, which refers to a range of tasks that a child can do independently and what that child is able to do when assisted by a more skilled adult (Berns, 2013). A student is able to work independently in this zone, until a certain point when he/she requires some additional help, or reminders of the necessary steps to accomplish the task at hand. This is referred to as scaffolding. Then, I will be able to assess which students might need extra direction in the given area of study. I can then implement further instructional aids through peer groups, collaborative efforts, more scaffolding, etc. I will also need to evaluate the difficulty or intricacy of the lessons; maybe there is a problem with them that needs to be addressed. With zone of proximal development, the students are pushed toward a higher level of learning when provided with the appropriate educational support.Students’ Social Ecology TheorySocialization is when a person learns the skills and traits needed to function in groups such as families, communities and social settings. It is when we learn to behave as expected and interact appropriately with one another. As a teacher in an early elementary classroom setting, I will need to have knowledge of each student’s background. A student’s Macrosystem, as well as his/her microsystem, can play an important part in a child’s development.A well-known theorist, Urie Bronfenbrenner, developed his Bio ecological Model, explaining how human development is affected by various environmental factors (Berns, 2013). Bronfenbrenner’s model had four components of development. Microsystem is the environment in which a child might learn and develop by watching and participating with others they are close to such as parents, siblings, friends, or teachers. Mesosytem is when two or more groups interact or mingle from that child’s microsystem. This could include a parent and teacher working together to help the student learn to read, or a parent volunteering in a child’s classroom. Exosystem is when participation is not required of an individual. However, circumstances can affect their microsystem, such as the parent’s decision to divorce and altering a child’s family microsystem. Macrosystem can be the culture that they live in that forms their beliefs and how they interact in their society; such factors can be religious beliefs, ethnicity, and political ideology. Family, peers, and community are directly influential in the development of a child. School is an important part in the Chronosystem of a child’s development (Berns, 2013). The teacher needs to be able to recognize these factors in a child’s development and realize the impact on the child’s learning style. Divorce in a child’s family can greatly impact a child’s socialization. It is becoming more of an issue to be considered when a teacher is assessing a child’s development. Divorce often means that the child is receiving less parenting as the parents are under more stress and have more responsibilities. The child is often required to spend time between two households, known as a binuclear family. The child also goes through emotional changes as well, such as experiencing a sense of loss and feeling helpless to control their surroundings. It can be reflected in the behavior of the child. Some have trouble with aggression, concentration, anxiety, and sadness. Young children may become whiny, more dependent, demanding, or disobedient (Berns, 2013). School age children can also be confused by custody schedules and parent conflicts. There can also be some impact if one or the other parent remarries. This depends on the child’s age, development status, temperament, and other factors. Family transitions can greatly affect a student’s progress at school. As a teacher, I will need step in and provide the student with some additional attention, discipline if the child becomes aggressive, and stability. It will be necessary to show more understanding and compassion toward the student. There will also be a change in how the parent/teacher dynamics are approached. As the teacher, I will need to know which parent to contact, and if both parents will be involved in the child’s conferences and such. There will be some need for collaboration between all parties involved. Cultural Diversity InstructionChildren develop socially based on past experiences and the influence received from peers, family, their community, and perception of others. Teachers must be cognizant of previously formed prejudices and beliefs to develop a classroom that welcomes everyone. It should be a setting of Cultural Pluralism, where everyone can enjoy and understand each other’s culture, fostering positive attitudes among a diverse student population. Children in my classroom will be encouraged to include everyone. I will need to create positive learning experiences to encourage changes in prejudicial attitudes. I can develop curriculum based on the cultural differences in the classroom by inviting members from the community in to share their culture through music, food and arts. Curriculum for All LearnersIn order to develop a successful classroom curriculum, I will need to be aware of school and state curriculum requirements. The requirements are then used to help develop lessons to meet the needs of students. I will need to reflect on lessons given to determine what works and what does not. This can be done by assessing the students’ grasp of the content. There may be a need to make adjustments to meet the needs of each student’s style of learning. I plan to use the teacher-directed curriculum to present specific content and lead students to a mastery of that content through repetition. It will also be useful in helping with group management. I will base my classroom setting on the Bereiter-Engelmann program. I will use less play material to some extent as it might cause too many distractions around the classroom and can often overwhelm students with learning disabilities. It can lead to overstimulation for these students and makes it hard for them to focus on the curriculum being presented. However, some students learn best with learner-directed instruction in many instances. For example, math can be a subject that is very hands-on. Lessons can be developed that would allow the students to explore and develop their curiosity. These lessons will be able to help students develop their understanding of what they already know. The learning will come from the child’s previous experiences. I will gradually increase their understanding by scaffolding or adding layers to their learning and what they already know. I will do assessments to evaluate the student’s level of comprehension as well as to evaluate the growth of the student. In early elementary level classrooms such as kindergarten, it is necessary to assess verbally, visually, and with written work. There is a lot of hands-on learning at this age of development. Children are learning to cut, glue, write, read, etc. To evaluate the progress of each student and myself as the teacher, it would be necessary to constantly assess each student, giving prompt feedback so that the child is able to know his/her strengths, and how to improve his/her weaknesses. This would also allow me to see areas that I might need to modify or improve in my lesson design and teaching.ConclusionIn conclusion, as a teacher, I will do my best to ensure that each student is successful in my classroom. I will provide lessons that encourage learning by engaging the student’s interests. I will provide learner-directed curriculum and help direct the students in a way that all will learn. I will be compassionate and understanding of each student’s cultural and social background. I will be aware of each student’s learning style and modify lessons to help him/her achieve success.ReferenceBerns, R. M. (2013). Child, family, school, community: Socialization and support (9th ed.). Belmont, CA: Wadsworth. ................
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