The reading this week was very well-connected to a staff development meeting that my school recently had. In an effort to reach all children, we sometimes need to reach outside our comfort zone. So many Social Studies teachers (especially) get caught up in the pattern of book work and worksheets. Like our curriculum director told us, lots of times Social Studies and Science are two areas that get some students through the day. He or she may not be good at reading or math, but these “exciting” subjects are what keeps them moving. Therefore, it is a little troubling to me when these area teachers put little effort into planning an engaging class. Children need to be able to relate to a topic to truly internalize it. I (as a social studies teacher) have more options when it comes to hands-on activities and projects (and I am very thankful for this).
I have heard a lot about North Carolina’s new curriculum that will soon be implemented. From what I understand, it will be focused on the 21st century student. There will not be as much to cover, and teachers will have a chance to explore topics more deeply. There will be an increased focus on technology and “real world” activities. The current standard course of study, in my opinion, is in major need of reforming, and I think that this is a step in the right direction.
Another interesting part of this week’s reading was the emphasis that was placed on family, and how to connect home life to school life. We are currently studying East and Southeast Asia in my seventh grade class. I am very fortunate to have a pretty diverse group of students (for a rural North Carolina area anyway). Within our team, we have Hmong, Vietnamese and Korean students. Many of them are 1st or 2nd generation Americans. At the culmination of our unit, the kids and some of their parents are going to do short presentations for each of my classes. They are going to talk about their native languages, foods, customs, traditions, and many other things. There is really no way for me to replicate this experience in the classroom. I think that our kids will get more out of this than anything else that we do with the unit.
I don’t think that there is a better way for a student to connect to the curriculum than by involving their home life. We need to find a way for children to (at least) be able to use their home experiences as a base of knowledge for every subject. This is a lofty goal, but I believe that once these two areas are bridged, the child and the teacher will be more successful.
Heather Coe
Comments (5)
Don't you wish time was made available for teachers to visit in students' homes? I know there might be hurdles to this and that some parents may not be open to a visit, but I think this activity would be especially beneficial. In the technology class I took last semester, the instructor encouraged us to make inexpensive digital cameras available to students to take home with them for various projects. If we can't make these home visits, a meaningful photography project where a student documents home might give us great insight on what is valued in that home. It would be more of a glimpse than what most of us have now. You are right--we need to bridge the gap between home and school. It only makes sense to use whatever means possible to accomplish this.
Posted by Lisa Rasey | April 19, 2009 10:41 PM
Posted on April 19, 2009 22:41
I agree with your comment about teachers not planning an engaging class. This bugs me too. I do try to make my classes at least interesting or engaging, and I am pretty intuitive in seeing when what I've planned is NOT working. When I've planned something and the students aren't into it, that is not the time to push through and frustrate them even further. I think one of the biggest parts of teaching is the ability to reflect, both immediately during a lesson and afterwards. That is truly having the students' interests at heart.
Posted by Christy Rivers | April 20, 2009 10:40 AM
Posted on April 20, 2009 10:40
Heather,
I really enjoyed your ideas about incorporating cultures into your teaching matching the curriculum. Your idea of inviting parents into the classroom as teachers along with their students to teach about their cultures must be empowering. This is a great way to allow children to feel pride for their cultures and backgrounds and also incorporate parents into the learning environment, which is always positive. This is really a great idea.
Posted by Brittany Guy | April 20, 2009 3:24 PM
Posted on April 20, 2009 15:24
Thanks for making the connection between the readings and the new 21st century curriculum. I have hopes for it too, in that I hope that it will be implemented as it has been imagined on paper. The new curriculum will be harder to implement in that it will take more effort, imagination, and work. But the children will definitely benefit!
Posted by Alecia Jackson | April 23, 2009 9:12 PM
Posted on April 23, 2009 21:12
Excuse me. This is my first time visiting this site and I found it very informational as a whole. I am so delighted in finding your website. Help me! Looking for sites on: Breast cancer radiation. I found only this - stage 1 breast cancer. They were successful to ignite any countless chemotherapy between enough diagnosis body and radical panel parts, breast cancer. In information to thoughts' breasts for softer and more false others, fight genes were compared in the bands with thinner, less actual cells and thinner factors, breast cancer. Waiting for a reply :confused:, Pegeen from Barbuda.
Posted by Pegeen | February 22, 2010 1:59 AM
Posted on February 22, 2010 01:59