Creating a caring community
Creating a caring community is invaluable for any classroom and does not happen by accident. It is important for educators to systematically plan how they can build a caring community. This is done through meticulous lesson planning and dedication. As twenty first century educators, it is important to keep classes meaningful and current. Resources such as Collaborating with Students in Instruction and Decision Making, by Villa, Thousand and Nevin from 2010, push educators to make their classroom and time with students to be the most it can be while while fostering advanced learning environments and communities. I want students in my classroom to feel that they are part of a team and a family.
Building Social Justice Though a Reconstructionist Lense
From a reconstructionists standpoint, I believe that students should be educated in order to positively impact and change society. They should be taught to build a higher level of social order and success. Though I realize how the institution of education has manifest and latent functions. I have witnessed how conflict theorists argue that education and schooling is a divider. It divides the haves and the have-nots. Thus I will strive to maintain and advance social Justice within my classroom and school.
Social justice in the United States is a concept and a theory centered on various ideas regarding equity and equality. In our society today, there are more issues regarding equity and equality than ever. This is because institutions have struggled with many issues such as, racial integration, gender equity, the elimination of sexual harassment, language equity, disability equity and many others. However, it is now clear for the need to embrace both equity and equality to produce an inclusive environment, which maintains and promotes social justice.
I believe that social justice has been established in education through a need and desire to positively impact and change society. However, very few students are given the tools they need to build a higher level of social order and success. Students need to be taught how to unite and create a stronger and more effective democratic society. Especially since no one in the world is “equal” to one another and never will be. People are just far too different from one another, both physically and mentally. Thus, equality can only be taken so far. Such as, ensuring the equality of basic human rights. And while equity encompasses equality, it goes beyond that with more personal notions of advancing fairness.
Promoting personal levels of fairness in the classroom are extremely important. This is because as our society continues to become more diverse, various groups will have advantages over others. This incorporates everything from race, ethnicity, gender, socioeconomic status, to the white privilege. And as things like these separate people in our society, many encounter and struggle to overcome the effects of a diverse and unequal playing field, which grants certain levels of fairness to certain groups and certain individuals. Thus many children begin their educations at a highly disadvantaged level compared to others. And often it is these students with odds stacked against them, who are destined to fail or meet the very minimal requirements for achievement and success.
Community Building Strategies
Ø One strategy for building a sense of community is making sure everyone in the classroom knows one another. A good way to do this is through the “Name Game”. In my classroom we will use a Name Game exercise during our first two class sessions. Students will go around the room and introduce them selves to the class by saying their name and their favorite food. Then the person sitting next to them will repeat that persons name and favorite food and then introduce themselves. By the time the activity get more than half way around the room the exercise starts to get hard as well as fun and students usually laugh and have a good time. The activity will be repeated during day two to see how much students remember.
Ø Creating a seating chart is vital to any classroom community. In my classroom I will use a rotating seating chart, which rotates every two weeks. This will allow students to sit next to and get to know many of their class-mates as well as giving all students a chance to sit in the front of the class.
Ø Students in my class will all need to adhere to and sign a social contract . This social contract will outline the basic rules of the class, expectations of students, as well as the need for values and student responsibility. Developing and implementing a social contract helps develop norms and expectations of students while building self – discipline (Villa, Thousand, Nevin, 2010). Implementing a social contract early in the school year helps students to all get on the same “page” while building a caring and curtious community.
Ø While the social contract helps to layout rules and expectations in our classroom for students, it is also very important that I as a teacher adhere to this contract as well which meens living up to student’s expectations. One expectation may be that if students are not allowed to drink soda during class time, I as the teacher should not be able to either (Villa, Thousand, Nevin, 2010). Little things like this show students that we including myself as the teacher are part of the same community and all need to adhere to the same guidelines.
Ø It is important that each student knows that their teacher personally cares about their success. Greeting students at the door when they enter and leave the classroom gives the teacher a few brief moments to interact with each student. Each student deserves a big hello with a smile and to be asked how they are each day. There could be something great or not so great going on in a student’s life and this short exchange allows the student to know I am there for them and that I care. Supporting students is a key part to building a community and greeting students at the door is a key way to further a supportive role as a teacher (Villa, Thousand, Nevin, 2010).
Facilitate and Inspire Student Learning and Creativity In Digital Communities
In my classroom I will utilize cutting edge technologies and methodologies to facilitate and inspire student learning and creativity. Students will not only engage in our classroom community but also in our digital community. This will give my students a higher model for creativity, which will enhance thinking. One cutting edge technology that I will utilize in my classroom is the advent of free online software programs. Online software programs such as Prezi.com offer fun and easy help for students who need to brainstorm ideas and or create a presentation. I have created a sample output using Prezi.com that will show students how to use Prezi as well as what will be expected of them during a project. Included here is a web link to my sample output from Prezi.comhttp://prezi.com/nkf6hu4qxexl/japanese-american-internment-during-world-war-ii/. Students will use programs like this in my classroom to become more engaged with using digital tools and resources that are transferable for real-world application. This program is visually appealing and will draw my students in with its user-friendly applications. Prezi will also makes it very simple for my students to collaborate on group projects. Students working on a Prezi project together can do so from separate locations while posting and reviewing each other's work online in our digital comunity. This will help build digital age skills which foster creativity. Using Prezi in my classroom will help my students learn to use digital media in a fun, easy, and stress free manner while improving the classroom dynamic.
Creating a caring community is invaluable for any classroom and does not happen by accident. It is important for educators to systematically plan how they can build a caring community. This is done through meticulous lesson planning and dedication. As twenty first century educators, it is important to keep classes meaningful and current. Resources such as Collaborating with Students in Instruction and Decision Making, by Villa, Thousand and Nevin from 2010, push educators to make their classroom and time with students to be the most it can be while while fostering advanced learning environments and communities. I want students in my classroom to feel that they are part of a team and a family.
Building Social Justice Though a Reconstructionist Lense
From a reconstructionists standpoint, I believe that students should be educated in order to positively impact and change society. They should be taught to build a higher level of social order and success. Though I realize how the institution of education has manifest and latent functions. I have witnessed how conflict theorists argue that education and schooling is a divider. It divides the haves and the have-nots. Thus I will strive to maintain and advance social Justice within my classroom and school.
Social justice in the United States is a concept and a theory centered on various ideas regarding equity and equality. In our society today, there are more issues regarding equity and equality than ever. This is because institutions have struggled with many issues such as, racial integration, gender equity, the elimination of sexual harassment, language equity, disability equity and many others. However, it is now clear for the need to embrace both equity and equality to produce an inclusive environment, which maintains and promotes social justice.
I believe that social justice has been established in education through a need and desire to positively impact and change society. However, very few students are given the tools they need to build a higher level of social order and success. Students need to be taught how to unite and create a stronger and more effective democratic society. Especially since no one in the world is “equal” to one another and never will be. People are just far too different from one another, both physically and mentally. Thus, equality can only be taken so far. Such as, ensuring the equality of basic human rights. And while equity encompasses equality, it goes beyond that with more personal notions of advancing fairness.
Promoting personal levels of fairness in the classroom are extremely important. This is because as our society continues to become more diverse, various groups will have advantages over others. This incorporates everything from race, ethnicity, gender, socioeconomic status, to the white privilege. And as things like these separate people in our society, many encounter and struggle to overcome the effects of a diverse and unequal playing field, which grants certain levels of fairness to certain groups and certain individuals. Thus many children begin their educations at a highly disadvantaged level compared to others. And often it is these students with odds stacked against them, who are destined to fail or meet the very minimal requirements for achievement and success.
Community Building Strategies
Ø One strategy for building a sense of community is making sure everyone in the classroom knows one another. A good way to do this is through the “Name Game”. In my classroom we will use a Name Game exercise during our first two class sessions. Students will go around the room and introduce them selves to the class by saying their name and their favorite food. Then the person sitting next to them will repeat that persons name and favorite food and then introduce themselves. By the time the activity get more than half way around the room the exercise starts to get hard as well as fun and students usually laugh and have a good time. The activity will be repeated during day two to see how much students remember.
Ø Creating a seating chart is vital to any classroom community. In my classroom I will use a rotating seating chart, which rotates every two weeks. This will allow students to sit next to and get to know many of their class-mates as well as giving all students a chance to sit in the front of the class.
Ø Students in my class will all need to adhere to and sign a social contract . This social contract will outline the basic rules of the class, expectations of students, as well as the need for values and student responsibility. Developing and implementing a social contract helps develop norms and expectations of students while building self – discipline (Villa, Thousand, Nevin, 2010). Implementing a social contract early in the school year helps students to all get on the same “page” while building a caring and curtious community.
Ø While the social contract helps to layout rules and expectations in our classroom for students, it is also very important that I as a teacher adhere to this contract as well which meens living up to student’s expectations. One expectation may be that if students are not allowed to drink soda during class time, I as the teacher should not be able to either (Villa, Thousand, Nevin, 2010). Little things like this show students that we including myself as the teacher are part of the same community and all need to adhere to the same guidelines.
Ø It is important that each student knows that their teacher personally cares about their success. Greeting students at the door when they enter and leave the classroom gives the teacher a few brief moments to interact with each student. Each student deserves a big hello with a smile and to be asked how they are each day. There could be something great or not so great going on in a student’s life and this short exchange allows the student to know I am there for them and that I care. Supporting students is a key part to building a community and greeting students at the door is a key way to further a supportive role as a teacher (Villa, Thousand, Nevin, 2010).
Facilitate and Inspire Student Learning and Creativity In Digital Communities
In my classroom I will utilize cutting edge technologies and methodologies to facilitate and inspire student learning and creativity. Students will not only engage in our classroom community but also in our digital community. This will give my students a higher model for creativity, which will enhance thinking. One cutting edge technology that I will utilize in my classroom is the advent of free online software programs. Online software programs such as Prezi.com offer fun and easy help for students who need to brainstorm ideas and or create a presentation. I have created a sample output using Prezi.com that will show students how to use Prezi as well as what will be expected of them during a project. Included here is a web link to my sample output from Prezi.comhttp://prezi.com/nkf6hu4qxexl/japanese-american-internment-during-world-war-ii/. Students will use programs like this in my classroom to become more engaged with using digital tools and resources that are transferable for real-world application. This program is visually appealing and will draw my students in with its user-friendly applications. Prezi will also makes it very simple for my students to collaborate on group projects. Students working on a Prezi project together can do so from separate locations while posting and reviewing each other's work online in our digital comunity. This will help build digital age skills which foster creativity. Using Prezi in my classroom will help my students learn to use digital media in a fun, easy, and stress free manner while improving the classroom dynamic.