Panel reflection

The three teachers that were brought in to speak to us were helpful in certain aspects. It was interesting to hear about their first couple years in the classroom and how they had to deal with specific students in certain situations. However, I grew up in the Twin Cities and plan on teaching there when I graduate. I attended public schools for most of my school career, and found that from participating in Ed 115, schools in rural areas are much different than schools in the city. Schools in the cities are much more diverse, and there are more behavioral issues that must be dealt with. These teachers grew up in Decorah, went to Luther, and now teach in Decorah or surrounding areas. It was hard for me to compare what I think my first few years of teaching will be like compared to what theirs were like mainly because I know I will have a more diverse class. Most likely, these teachers did not grow up with much diversity in their schools, and probably do not have much diversity in their own classrooms now. Also, I went to a private high school that provided laptops for each student to use inside and outside of school. We used our computers to take notes, tests, make movies for school projects, and research, etc. Our school was very technologically advanced and I think technology is very important in young children's lives, especially in today's society. I think it would have been more helpful to hear one teacher from a rural area speak and one teacher from the city speak because then we could have compared the two. I know it is hard to get a teacher from the city to come to Decorah for an hour to speak to a class, but I think that would have been more beneficial than having three teachers who grew up in a rural area and now teach in a rural area speak.

Paper Clips movie response

After discussing, we agreed that Dewey’s theories would be most closely aligned with the paper clip project because he argues that children learn best by experience. This project allowed the students to learn through a meaningful experience. The professional teaching knowledge and skills that we identified in the movie are the constructivist approach and the direct-instruction approach. The constructivist approach was used because the teachers did not use lecturing as their main approach to teaching the topic. The teachers encouraged the students to explore their world, discover knowledge, reflect, and this critically. The direct-instruction approach was used because the teachers had high expectations for the students and their progress.
Our group agreed that this project was developmentally appropriate for middle school students because the teachers have the ability to choose which information they think is appropriate to teach to specific age groups. Not every detail must be revealed when the Holocaust is being taught, however, it is important that children learn about this tragic event in history.
This project proved to be very successful, however, we do believe that assessment is important. It is crucial that students learn through experience, but it is also important that they are able to retain the information that is being taught. Something like tests or projects would be a good way of making sure that the students are taking an in-depth look at the topic being taught. The method of research that would be most effective would be a group project where each student has their individual responsibility within the group.
There was not much technology used during the paper clip project. The students recorded every address by hand and filled up many binders with information they gained. One way technology could have been incorporated is by recording all the information on a computer. This helps the information to stay more organized, and also helps the students to become more comfortable with computers and technology.
The commitment and motivation of the teachers and the principal is very important for a project like this. If the teachers and the principal are not motivated, then this project never would have been as successful as it was. The teachers and the principal are looked up to and must demonstrate motivation in order for the students to want to work hard and be successful.