FIAE Chapter 14

Report card should be more then just a grade given to a student at the end of the grading period. Chapter fourteen explains that report cards should be based on the students mastery of the content, what they need to improve on, and what they have learned corresponding with the standards. I always thought that the notes next to the grades were what I was looking for not. I found that the overall opinion of how I was doing in the class from the teacher reflected more then the grade.

FIAE Chapter 13

Grade book formats can be organized in many ways. Through listing assignments by the date, category, or objective, teachers may find themselves just adding in one grade for each assignment. This does not show the learning curve of the student. By taking the overall grade and breaking it down to what you graded on the rubric, students will be able to make an adjustment to their work habit. They will be given more than one grade. This in turn will allow students to see that they need to participate more or focus more on the content than the product. Specific detail is always better then an overall analysis.

FIAE Chapter 12

Chapter twelve mentions many different grading scales that teachers use in schools. One of the scales that this chapter seems to dislike is the 100 point grading scale. By using this scale, students have a higher percentage to fail. Using a smaller scale, like a 4-point scale is a better tool to measure students abilities. A teachers who uses a rubric to grade everything for students is deemed as a better teacher because they are allowing the student grades to be based out of a scale that is fair. Making a smaller scale can take out the sixty point margin of failing and give students a better grade range to fall into. Yet, until a school does a complete overhaul on a grading system, students will still be subjected to mixed views of the scale.

FIAE Chapter 11

This chapter focuses on how a teacher grades students who do not do their homework. Because homework is suppose to be for practice, students should not be getting homework to take home and learn new things. Students have other roles that they have to take on when the leave the confines of the school. This chapter mentions that students should still get a failing grade for not doing their homework, but not a zero as a grade. If a teacher puts a zero in the grade for students that do not do their homework, their grades will be dramatically skews. By teachers using sixty points instead of none, the overall grading of the student that gets a bad grade will not have a skewed grading. I believe that more students will be able to pass through grades without needing to retake a class. I have observed in the classroom that the only reason why students fail classes is because they have three or four zero’s in the grade book. Most of them would have passed if given a sixty.

FIAE Chapter 10

There will always be reasons why a teacher should and should not let students redo an assignment. These reasons can be things that the teacher infers about a students excuse why the project wasn’t done or that the student has a legitimate excuse. The only advice I obtain from the text is that if you do decide to let students redo an assignment, make sure that you have received a signed paper from the parents saying that it is up for your discretion. Having a paper that the parent signs insures that both parent and student understand it’s your discretion or that they at least have signed a paper you can revert back to if problems arise. Teachers should be able to change the format of a test, ask students when they will be able to take the test over again, and be able to grade the test based on their improvements from the previous test. Some times teachers should not let students retake something. Times at the end of a grading period are good times to not accept anything redone because it saves the teacher from doing endless hours of grading over again. This chapter has given great advise that seems important to know. I will as a teacher use documentation from parents to fall back upon when needed.

FIAE Chapter 9

Chapter nine lists ten things to avoid when grading students. Having nonacademic factors in a grading system is ok, but not averaged into the final grade. I disagree with this because I believe that if a student shows up to every class and does not miss one lesson, then they have proven a greater maturity level then others. This is something I would grade. I agree that students should not be graded on the works leading up to the mastery product. Students need time to master a subject so why should we as teachers grade their steps to mastery? We shouldn’t! Grading homework should be avoided because it is only practice. I personally believe that it shows a students ability to manage time and they will be more apt to do something that is graded if it also improves their knowledge in the long run. Help students when they need differentiating. I believe in the extra credit rule on some aspects of assignments. I feel that students should be shown they have done a get job at something by going above and beyond expectations. Although this chapter says otherwise, I still have to go with my gut reaction. Having no group grades and not grading on a curve are other evidences that I disagree with. I feel that I am equipped to teach and know if students work better with these tools or not. I can tailor them if I see need fit.

FIAE Chapter 8

When teachers say that they grade because the school asks them to, how does this show much knowledge about the point of grading in the first place. I personally don’t want someone grading me who just does it because they are asked. Grading is a long and “tedious” task that teachers have to do. Why is a teacher not able to say that a student has passed the class because they demonstrate mastery of the subjects talked about in class? Grades confuse students to the point that the student worries about the grade more then the assignments or class itself. They are looking for an A on something rather then more knowledge coming out of a class. When this happens, how to teachers go about fixing the problem? They grade that too! Chapter eight says that participation, effort, and behavior can benefit a class because they are valued ethics, but can in retrospect hurt a class because you grade to much on these three aspects. Finally, I think that grading will be easier when pigs start to fly, but that’s my opinion.

FIAE Chapter 7

Chapter seven talks about how teachers do not consult with others about their grading process. I find that my teachers all had different opinions about what was good work and what was bad work so I was able to slack off in some classes, but not others. A better grading system should be put into place. How will this happen? When teachers start communicating with each other on what constitutes as an “A” in a class about geometry, English, or computer science. Students need to be able to understand a grading process and be able to see a brake down of what they are being graded on. Grades will not be what matters in the long run, they are just indicators on test taking skills. What matters is that through a teachers formative and even summative assessments students master the knowledge by applying what they have learned to the real world.

MI Chapter 12

This chapter starts out by talking about different aspects of memory. It says that there is not good nor bad memory, only that someone is better with another intelligence linked to the memory then another intelligence. People that are spatial learners are able to recognize faces rather than a certain persons name. This chapter lists many ways that students and anyone can memorize key facts better. One example was to sing the answer to the question (musical intelligence) Problem solving can also be improved by focusing on that problem and addressing it by reflecting your knowledge about MI’s on it. If you have to draw a picture out to get to an answer you most likely fall into some spatial category.

MI Chapter 11

This chapter talks about how students should only be looked at for their positives in a special education setting. Having the special students demonstrate clarity of the work they are doing and understanding by only using one intelligence is fair to use as evidence because the student can produce better work while working with that intelligence. This at least shows you that the student has some evidence of knowledge. I found the list of famous people with disabilities and was shocked to find so many names I know. These people overcame there boundaries probably by focusing on what they could do rather then what they couldn’t.. This chapter uses the term cognitive bypassing. This term means that students somewhat ignore tasks being presented in another task to focus on using the one task that you can use the most. Use the best intelligence to get the best result.

MI Chapter 8

MI theory can be used in classroom management as chapter eight has pointed out. The chapter talks about how to get a class to quiet down by using some MI strategies like clapping for musical people, writing “quite” on the board for linguistic people, and simply putting a finger up against your mouth to symbolize being quite. This chapter also has lists of ways to “transition” students or just move them on to their next activity using MI theory, clarifying rules using MI theory, and even grouping the classroom up from using MI theory. Students need to learn from the intelligent they know the most because that will help clarify things the most. I think that intelligences can be a cool and creative way of assigning tasks. If I made all my works due have a certain level of choice for the students to choose from, then I would have a better percentage of the students who understand the information being asked.

UBD/DI Chapter 8

Chapter eight talks about how teachers should never compare students to one another. It says that each student ha a different level of understanding and that comparing students is not a balanced way of grading. They suggest to grade the students based on personal achievement. Weighted grades help the student as well as the teacher understand what tasks or assessments are more important. Although as a teacher you think everything is important, a student can understand that the heavier weight of a grade means they have to work harder. Grading now seems a little difficult after finding a few facts out. The main idea that this chapter also suggests is that grades are for the students to get feedback. The teachers number one priority is to show the students if they have mastered or even understood the information.

MI Chapter 14

Chapter 14 is a short chapter that suggests there might be a ninth intelligence. The existential intelligence deals with the “ultimate life issues”. Meaning that the questions in life that are hardest to answer such as: the significance of life, death, and love. Gardener considers this the be an intelligence because it fit’s the criteria for an intelligence. It has a cultural value and is documented historically in books and autobiographies. There are symbols used in a system such as Christianity and Buddism in religious structures. The intelligence even has people who are great hosts of this skill such as people with deeper understanding of life or a person who has the capacity to ask existential questions. Gardener goes on to tell about subjects that this intelligence can be shown in and how it benefit’s the subject. I find that being able ask existential questions and being able to answer those questions show that that person can think deeply and focus on what truly matters.

MI Chapter 13

This chapter gives three more intelligences that students learn by. These three applications are computer technology, cultural diversity, and career counseling. Computer technology is basically having the students be able to use processing software, draw-and-paint software, and other applications that use linguistic and spatial thinking as well. Table 13.1 demonstrates different software that each intelligence is associated with. Cultural diversity uses art and music, scientific discoveries, social mores, political institutions, and numbering systems to pass down to other generations. This keeps the culture rich and ongoing. Some examples of this usage is the Puluwat navigate the seas because of their spatial and naturalist intelligence while the Anang of Nigeria use song and dance when they are only five years old. I find that Career counseling can be the most beneficial in my opinion because it shows that students what they can do as a career in the intelligence field they are best in. A linguistic learner can work in the library and a kinesthetic learner can be a physical therapist. It is good to know what jobs are out there in the world if you find one specific intelligence easier then another.

MI Chapter 7

The intelligences provide a “context for asking questions” about things in the class that can be beneficial to learning and shine a light on things in the classroom that are not working. If no one in the classroom is a visual learner, a teacher must be able to recognize that and alter their lesson to suit the needs of the students. This chapter then goes on and lists questions that correspond with the intelligences and how they effect the classroom. An idea that is presented in the chapter that can help a classroom that is divided up into different style learners is to follow the “types of activity centers” that is displayed in table 7.1. Different sections of a room can be used as a learning tool for students with needs. Have the students chose which “centers” there should be in the classroom for the week. This gets them motivated to learn by that specific intelligence.

UBD/DI Chapter 9

Chapter nine discusses the steps that teachers go through when they are working on guiding principles of backwards design. When teachers work is guided by these principles they determine what students should know, what they understand, and what they are able to do. Teachers find evidence on the subject that will clearly show the students what is expected. They use the principles to guide there lessons and address needs from the students if there are any. I liked that the chapter also had a unit plan about health. This could be a great source I could use when designing a unit for nutrition. This chapter also reminded teachers to assess their students to see what they know before entering into a new unit. This will create an overview of who knows what and what you need to emphasize on when teaching. At the end of the chapter ideas are presented about the learning environment, the curriculum and the teacher that are useful to know.

MI Chapter 6

Chapter six has more information about using all eight intelligences in different lessons that teachers are able to do in class. Summarizing everything that is shown in this chapter is difficult because each lesson idea is cool and creative. Linguistic lessons usually have “open-ended language activities” to better suit everyone. Logical-mathematics lessons usually focus in science and math courses, but the lesson plans that this chapter focuses on is using the lesson to point out the wide use of it in every part of the school day. Spatial lessons include visualization, color cues, picture metaphors, idea sketching, and graphic symbols. Kinesthetic intelligences use hands on activities incorporated with reading, math, and science. Musical lessons are usually not used in schools. Many memorization tools use music and songs, so why don’t teachers use songs in science and math to memorize equations? It could help. Interpersonal and intrapersonal intelligence are used everyday in the schools. It is just the teachers decision whether to have the students works as a group on something, or have the students experience themselves as autonomous beings. Finally, naturalist lessons can either be taking the classroom outside or bringing the outside into the classroom.

MI Chapter 5

Chapter Five provides a “broad range of stimulating curricula to awaken the slumbering brains that Goodlad fears populate our nations schools.” It says that we as teachers need to reach beyond the books and boards to turn up to excitement in the school. As a MI teacher, one should use all eight MI techniques in the teachings. Switching from one to another and even grouping intelligences can benefit the classroom as well as the students. This chapter gives many examples in all the eight intelligences for teachers to create a lesson around. By focusing on a specific topic, asking key MI questions, using MI techniques, brainstorming, selecting an appropriate activity, setting up a plan, and implementing the plan, a teacher is able to create a terrific lesson plan that benefits their classroom and the content standards. I believe that teachers that have strayed away from the textbook can work better with the students who are not linguistic learners and are more open to helping a wide variety of students. Yet, the textbooks do serve as a great tool to keep a lesson on track. Being able to swing from MI teaching to contemporary teaching is the best way a teacher can teach in my opinion.

UBD/DI Chapter 7

Teachers all over the globe understand that there is just not enough time to teach everything that they want to or that they need to. They focus on trying to force the content standards on the students hoping that they will grasp them. A better way that this chapter advises teachers to go about covering their material is not to cover it, but to uncover it. Using essential questions to open up discussion about math, art, science, dance, and ext. can conquer the content standards of the subject. Over time, these essential questions deepen the understanding of a subject and we as teachers expect more sophisticated answers to them. This chapter finishes up with a discussion of how to pull the essential questions together using the “WHERETO” framework. Each letter uncovering an important aspect of managing a classroom.

UBD/DI Chapter 6

This chapter reverts back to talking about the three stages of backwards design and how it can focus teachers to teach the principles. Some of the elements used in a flexible classroom are time, space, student grouping, resources, and partnership. Using these in the classroom can benefit a student if used in the right way. Managing time in a classroom is always on the students mind as well as the teachers. This chapter also displays tables that have Q and A about the different elements. Teachers are in the classroom to break old habits of teaching and create useful and creative techniques. Some old habits are okay, but if a person can change their personal life then a teacher can change their professional life.

FIAE Chapter 6

Chapter six discusses the best ways that a test can be made up. The main points of a test that this chapter talked about are the length, time frame, and material on the test. They said that the short the test the better because it would be easier for a teacher to grade and a shorter test can cover the major topics rather than the useless details. It is always good for a teacher to give the students enough time for them to comfortably finish the test without worrying whether they will finish it or not. Having questions, such as multiple choice, true or false, and short response questions, that make the student think about the subject are the best ways to test their understanding. Having the questions clear and concise makes the test less stressful for a student to take as well.

FIAE Chapter 5

Tiering is an effective way to alter an assessment’s complexity to better suit the needs of an individual learner. This process can be to add complexity or subtract the assessments complexity. By being able to adjust the level of complexity of a rubric a student is challenged to try harder on the subject matter and maybe even learn new material and broaden their sense of awareness. If a rubric is to complex for another individual, then by simply changing the sentence structure around to better suit the students needs can benefit them dramatically. Pushing students to the end of their zone of proximal development is good for the student.

FIAE Chapter 4

This chapter is all about more assessments and rubric making. It focuses on three important types of assessments and what they do. Portfolios are useful because they show the “big picture” or a longitudinal study of the students work over a period of time. This helps the teacher see the students development and if they are balanced with the other students. Rubrics are also good tools to use because they show exactly what needs to be done and if the student followed directions. A clear and precise rubric is all a student needs to go by if it is done the right way. The last assessment is a students self-assessment were they discuss whether they believe they have done what it takes to complete the task at hand. This assessment helps the student and teacher set specific goals for the student. Assessments are in place for the teacher to learn what the students know, not for the teacher to grade how well the student know the material.

MI Chapter 10

Chapter ten talks about the different ways that a teacher assesses a student. Many teachers take the final tests only into consideration when they are figuring out how a student learns things. This is the wrong way. A teacher needs to be open to teaching students the tricks to the real world. If students can demonstrate that they can apply the information to the real world then they have mastered the content. This chapter tells teachers to study their students by having them keep journals, work samples, audio files, checklists, and so much more. Teachers are able to learn the students learning style and be able to assess them the correct way at the end of the unit by giving them questions based on their learning style.

FIAE Chapter 3

In chapter three many things such as “begin with the end in mind” were retouched upon. It said that if a teacher gives the end of the unit test on day one of class and have the students fill it out that they would try and the teacher can get a good sense of what they have already known. It said that if a student then learns in another lesson that it is the answer to one of the questions that this is what you want as a teacher. Having the students want to know these things and remember them is what a teacher wants. The reading also mentioned places where teachers can get guidance on what is important in the unit. Use other colleagues, standards, curriculum guides, and even professional journals to increase your knowledge on what is important. Three types of assessment are in place for teachers to evaluate their students. Pre-assessments are for the teacher to learn the students readiness. Formative assessments are “checkpoints” for each topic you cover and they provide feedback to the teacher about if a student has grasped the knowledge. Summative assessment is the big test at the end of a unit that reflects what a student has learned throughout the unit. Although there was much more information in the reading, I found that these topics were the most informational.

FIAE Chapter 2

How does someone know when they have mastered a subject? Chapter two reveals that for someone to actually master the knowledge, they have to be able to use it in the “ real-world”. Because teachers can only grade a student based on an assessment that they created it is only an inference of what that student knows. This chapter reverts back to Understanding by Design’s six facets by Jay Mctighe and Grant Wiggins. When someone can use their understanding of a material and use it in a “spontaneous applications” they have mastered the knowledge. This chapter also talks about how first year and new teachers need to tap into outside resources to figure out what is important in a unit plan. Yet, it also says that veteran teachers need top use these resources as well. Opening up our mind to others opinions will make the learning open to other perspectives.

FIAE Chapter 1

This chapter focused primarily on differentiated instructions. Basically recalling all the information that we have already read in UBD/DI, it still opened my mind to what we as teachers need to do for our students. It is one thing to help a student if he/she is having trouble with something, but to amplify the way one teaches in a way that all the students can understand and master the information on their own it is much more efficient. Students come to every class with the one tool that they need… their brains! Each is different in many ways. Some need visuals and others need lectures. A teacher is there to be the transmitter of information and every student has their own station (brain) that receives different information. The key to success is to be open to all forms of teaching so that when college or the real world comes, then you are prepared to take on the information presented.

UBD/DI Chapter 5

“Feedback is the breakfast of champions” said Vince Lombardi. Feedback is one of the greatest tools to assess and understand what your students know. Having evidence that a student has attained the right information and is able to use it in the real-world is what teaching is about. This chapter focused on three assessment principles and how they can benefit a teacher as well as a student. The first principle talks about how using multiple tests and assessments rather then a single test is a better way to provide a complete picture of the students learning. The second focuses on what students should know by know, what they should be able to do with the knowledge, and how students should act. These three indicators help the teacher better understand the students abilities in the class. Students who are able to demonstrate the six facets are on their way to a successful life. The last assessment principle says that you need to assess the students gradually and over the time they are learning the information, not at the end of the unit. Assessments are in place for the teachers as well as the students. The teacher gets feedback about how they teach and ways they can improve and the students get feedback about how well they understand the material.

UBD Chapter 4

The main idea that I pulled from the chapter after reading is that the students parents believe and trust their kids in your hands. With that in mind, teachers need to be aware of each student and understand that they need to guide the student in the right direction. Sometimes teachers have the mindset of being open to all students learning styles and still do not apply those styles to the classroom. That is why having a curriculum board and other support structures, such as colleagues, to assist you in your adventure as a teacher. Teachers need to be at the students disposal so the student can learn continually.

UBD Chapter 3

This chapter told me everything I already have read in Seven Habits of a Highly Effective Teen. Freshman year of high school we had to take a class of learning how to learn. The planning backwards advice does help. It gives you that incentive to work harder for the final result. By first seeing what you want in the end you can establish goals and create a path to accomplish the goals. This chapter also talked about how some standards are to open or to focused on one thing. I feel that standards are there basically for an outline of what needs to be accomplished and if you try your best for each student to accomplish these goals then you did your job to the fullest.

MI Chapter 4

In the beginning of this chapter is clearly teaches you that you have to become equal or on the same level as the student. Don’t try and use big words when you have a class full of middle school kids. Some kids might even learn better is you add a symbol or picture next to the subject you are teaching. The MI pizza is a good example of this. I like the advice of telling a story to teach the students about MI. Having eight kids all be really good in a single learning style and maybe even put a swing on it like having them meet each other and adopt each others techniques.

MI Chapter 3

Chapter three’s main subject was surrounding the intelligences of students and how a teacher could figure out the students intelligences. In figure 3.1 there was so much useful information pertaining to some characteristics associated with students in the eight different intelligences. I feel that some of the ways of discovering the students abilities can add to your own personal profile you make of the student, like looking at school records and see how that student is doing in another class and environment. Something new that I have learned from this chapter is the phrase “six-hour retard child.” I would otherwise have said the tech wing kids from back when I was in high school. The key is communication and interaction.

MI Chapter 2

Chapter two recaps on the eight intelligences and tests yourself on how you are a learner. What jumped out at me in this chapter is the fact that there was that intelligences can be affected biologically, personal life history, and by cultural and historical background. The best tool to analyze these intelligences is to simply observe the behaviors of both the student and yourself the teacher. Through this a pretty good sense of learning styles is present. Teaching is getting out of your personal comfort zone to better the needs of the student. A good example used was that some teachers might not draw on the board as because they never could learn that way themselves. Open your mind up to new options and incorporate drawing into your classroom another way such as a coloring project.

MI Chapter 1

This first chapter focused primarily on the different intelligences. Having eight different yet unique learning types can be a little overbearing sometimes for teachers to adapt to. Language, numbers, physically touching something, are all ways that some people use to understand what they are learning, memorizing, or whatever might be the occasion. This chapter taught me that everyone has the eight intelligences, but some have more of one then the other. Teaching is about applying all these intelligences into a curriculum so that each individual gets a chance to utilize and learn from these techniques. Beside the eight intelligences, there are others like culinary and spiritual, but the eight is a good start. J

UBD&DI Chapter 2

In this chapter four students were all having different problems faced by many typical students worldwide today. They struggled with school whether it was because of something to do with home or a learning disability. I believe that this chapter was meant for whomever reads it to understand that everyone has there own personal problems and needs. Teaching is about assisting a student or even colleagues that might need your help. No matter what the problem. This chapter also states that teachers should not focus on individualization because that would be way to overwhelming for that particular teacher. Instead learn or ask the class what ways they like to learn and apply those to your classroom.

UBD&DI Chapter 1

I learned that the best way to teach is to use both UBD and DI together in a classroom. UBD is basically there for the students. It goal is to help students better understand particular teachings. DI is there for another reason. DI works individually with the kids making sure they can learn from the teachers planning’s and curriculum. I have learned that to be the best teacher you have to open up your mind for any type of situation. Whether the individual needs to be taught a different way or whether you need to work with them privately, The individuals are the one’s in mind.