Ryan+Fowler


 * Lesson Plans: **


 * //4 Artifacts of Structural Enhancement:// **

Humanities Based Lesson - Two Assessment Samples - Classroom Procedure Plan - Resume and Cover Letter -

Focus Student Portfolio -
 * 4 Artifacts of Teaching all Learners**

Special Ed Artifact -

ELL Artifact -

Differentiated Instruction Artifact -

Semester 2: Reflection 9

If I ever use my micro-teaching lesson in the future I would make the lecture portion more interactive. There were plenty of opportunities for me to include questions for the class to keep them more engaged. For example, instead of talking about Adam Smith's philosophy of the free market I could have have asked the class, "who remembers what Adam Smith told us about the economy?" If students recall facts on their own it will indicate to them that it is relevant to the subject of Karl Marx. I felt like I was talking for too long. I tried to include time for students to share stories, but I would have liked to include even more interaction from the class.

I thought the activity that I planned went very well. I was actually surprised because I thought the class would think it was silly and refuse to participate, but everyone got really into it. I would not have anticipated the wild and crazy ideas that some of the groups came up with when addressing the issues that Karl Marx was responding to. I thought the activity was a great way for students to relate personally to the issues that were prevalent in society at the time Karl Marx came up with his philosophy. I would also be able to use the activity in the future when talking about communism. I would have the students compare the society that they made with the one that Marx thought up.

In terms of a negative aspect, I think I could improve upon my lecturing skills. The philosophy of Karl Marx is really complex and it is important that students remain engaged for the entire lecture. It is a lot more fun to listen to an engaging lecturer. I was very confident in the material that was teaching, but I was not fully confident in being in front of the class. I think that this lack of confidence is a performance destroyer, and it is really frustrating because I know that it does not need to be there. I have gotten a lot better at managing these public speaking jitters, but there is still a lot of room for improvement. First I need to work on becoming more comfortable in front of large groups of people, and then I need to speak in a more engaging way. I think that the latter will come naturally once I become more confident.

Semester 2: Reflection 8

There is a lot to consider when teaching the terrible. Everyone has their own way of coping with traumatic or terrible events, so it is important to take these things into consideration when teaching about them. Sometimes people use jokes as a mechanism to release anxiety. Other people are very open with their emotions and are willing to share them. Sometimes people are scared of being judged based on their emotions, so they might keep quiet. However on responds to terrible events, it is an extremely important aspect to cover in history classes because it gives students a sense of what is absolutely unacceptable in the civilized world. These are values that are going to be increasingly important with the every expanding global community.

Before getting into a traumatic event in history that might evoke emotion I think it would be useful to give some warning. For example, before learning about the Holocaust a teacher might want to say something like, "this next unit is going to be a little bit disturbing. You are probably going to see some images and read some text that are deeply unsettling to you." This way students will not be caught off guard when looking at material that is hard to deal with. I think it would also be useful to talk about why we study the terrible before getting into it. I would probably lead a discussion where we talk about how cruel humans can be to each other, and how important it is to recognize that cruelty. Without knowing what cruelty looks like, we are far more likely to fall victim to it.

The best way to make the terrible known to students is to present it in a real way. Often times this can graphic, or even horrifying at times. However, this should not be motivation to refrain from making it real. Reality tends to evoke an emotional response to things. For example, while reading Night some things that i felt were fear, anger, sadness, and empathy. If Elie Wiesel decided to dumb sensitize his writing and make it less real, I certainly would not have felt those emotions. It is precisely the reality of the terrible that makes it such a powerful subject.

When dealing with material as heavy as things like the Holocaust it is extremely important to be conscious of how mature your students are. Sometimes students might feel to scared to put there feelings on the line and instead make immature jokes about it. As a teacher it will be important to be ready for these types of students. I would try to mitigate it by making clear expectations of what will be tolerated and what will not. My students will know that we are dealing with a subject that effected millions of individuals in a very negative way, and if anyone chooses to handle the subject in an immature way there will be consequences.

I think the most valuable lesson one can take from learning about the atrocities that took place in the past is that there are certain actions that are so abominable and sickly wrong that they will not be tolerated in the civilized world. It is not a matter that should be taken lightly. The social studies is so rife with moral issues, and "the terrible" is a great way to instill a sense of ethics in students by making them aware of the ethically dubious behavior of the past.

Semester 2: Reflection 7

A. I really appreciated how honest the panel was with their experiences. In spite of a lot of the scary and negative experiences they have had, there is something that they just love about the profession. I thought it was really cool that Ian majored in engineering and could be doing something where he makes a lot more money, but insists on teaching because he loves it. It is that kind of passion and drive that makes a good teacher.

B. On a professional level I really appreciated the panels insight into setting up the classroom for success from day one. I think it was Ian who said "be more of a hard-ass than you really are." I am certainly going to use this advice because I can be pretty passive. The panel helped me realize that it is important to be clear with expectation and to follow through with them from day one. Once the rules are established it will be ok to step back and be more realized, but if you loose the kids at the beginning there will be no getting them back.

C. Allison and Andrew seemed to be pretty laid back. I think they both really like the relationship side of teaching. They also both seemed to be bit goofy, and promoted using those quarks in the classroom. Ian and the other female (her name is eluding me at the moment) seemed to be less goofy, but still very interested in forming personal relationships with their students.

D. I would have liked the panel to share specific disciplinary actions that they have implemented in the past. We talked a lot about the importance of establishing good classroom management from day one, but we did not really discuss what their management techniques were. For example, Ian talked about kids getting up and sharpening their pencils in the middle of class. I would have liked to know what he does when that happens.

E. I really liked Andrew. He just seemed really calm and easy to talk to. He also seemed to have some great ideas on how to make history more accessible and exciting to high school students, which something that I certainly want to emulate as a teacher.

F. The panel made it really clear that no two teachers are exactly the same. We all have our own unique experiences and personalities to bring to the profession. no one personality is correct, but it is important to find a way to make it conducive to learning. On that note, teachers are constantly learning themselves. The panel helped me realize that my experiences with my future students are not only going to shape who I am as a teacher, but also who I am as a person.

Semester 2: Reflection 6

A. Cultural relativism speaks to speaks to a set of beliefs that pertain to a specific culture but not another. For example, in many countries lunch is the biggest meal of the day, but in the U.S dinner is. What is considered "normal" is relative to culture.

Ethical relativism encompasses the idea that there is no moral system that is more right or wrong than another. For example, in ancient Greece Spartans used to discard their week children. Today this sort of thing seems terrible to most people, but an ethical relativist would not be able to pass judgment one way or another.

B. Ethical relativism makes pluralistic society interesting. In many ways it can foster a tolerant and understanding society. Ethical relativism allows for an extremely diverse amount of world views without forcing any moral system on anyone else. While this is good to an extent, it is also problematic because it eliminates the possibility to use morality to justify anything in society. For example, a large part of the reason slavery was abolished was because people found it morally detestable. Things like prostitution, heroin, and rape are illegal in this country because they are considered to be immoral. The problem is that a moral relativist would not be able to call these actions immoral. The everyday actions of the world are centered around what people consider to be right and wrong. But when there is no right and wrong to speak of it creates problems for society.

C. Ethical relativism would prevent teachers from speaking about the war crimes of the Nazis as unequivocally wrong. Instead of saying that the Nazis were wrong, we would need to say they came from a different moral perspective. It might be wrong from our perspective, but who are we to judge? For the sake of a well functioning society we need to be able to say that we can judge some things on a moral level. I think genocide is so gripping because it is one of those things that just feels so objectively wrong to people. I know that when I watch clips or read things about concentration camps it evokes a strong emotional response. However, if I were to teach about genocide to students from a moral relativist perspective I would need to ignore those emotions. I would need to teach that if some people do not have negative emotional responses to the mass killing of people it is ok.

Semester 2: reflection 5

Mr. Fowler was a very helpful teacher. It was clear that he had the students interests at heart. Usually history classes are boring but mr. Fowler kept it engaging and exciting by bringing in person experiences of both himself and his students. His teaching style made events that happened in the past more relevant to our lives as citizens of the world.

Mr. Fowler was very east to approach. If i ever needed help organizing my thoughts for a paper I was never scared to talk with him after class. When i did ask for extra help it was clear that he genuinely wanted me to understand the material. I felt that he was a hard but but fair grader, and he always included justified and helpful feedback when I got marked down on things. One thing that I would have liked to see more of is hands on activated from the students. Mr. Fowler puts together a lot of lesson plans that involve discussion, but sometimes i just want to dive into material in a different way.

Over all I thought Mr. Fowler made history fun and interesting and his genuine care for his students made class enjoyable. The way that mr. Fowler challenged me to think will certainly be helpful in the future.

Semester 2: Reflection 4

A. Discussion/debate was used as well as cooperative learning.

B. I thought the methods used were very engaging. The teacher did a fantastic job conveying an extremely complex issue in a non-biased way. I thought it was very useful how he mixed up the teaching strategies to appeal to a wide variety of learners. For example, we started the lesson off with a short discussion and then segued into a jigsaw activity. After that we watched a short video clip that tied everything together. The Vietnam war was a extremely complex, and I think a lot of times teachers tend to dumb it down for students. But this lesson did a good job dealing with the complexities.

C. It would be fairly easy to come up with some adaptations to make this lesson more applicable to varying age groups. For example, if this lesson were to be taught in a middle school I would provide students with the sources to find important information that they need on the figure they are assigned during the jigsaw learning activity. I would also have a few more guiding questions planned out for the final discussion that we had. Since we are college students it worked out, but I think it would need a bit more structure for middle schoolers.

If I were to design this lesson students at the college level I would have tried to design more in depth discussion questions. For example, after the video that was shown I would want to have an in depth discussion about whether or not the U.S.A was justified in intervening in Vietnam.

Semester 2: Reflection 3

A. The authors of the //Responding to Global Education //piece propose a few methods to prepare students for a globalized world. A very important aspect of teaching global citizens that they discuss is giving students the tools to view the world from multiple perspectives. Essentially, if students are able to view issues from anthers perspective it becomes easier to work together. Rather than simply shutting an idea down for being different students should be able to understand why that idea is different. The authors believe that teachers need to instill a desire to understand the complexity of the world around them. There is no science of values. Einstein did not come up with a formula that dictates how individuals should live their lives. A lot of the social sciences deals with these subjective issues. It is extremely important for social studies teachers to help students delve into complex issues that might not have an immediate answer.

B. This article was extremely helpful. Whether one agrees with globalization and consequences or not, it is certainly taking hold in society. It is going to be increasingly important for teachers to help students figure out how to function in the society that they live in. By teaching students how to think critically about global issues we establish a future tolerance, understanding, and acceptance. If we were to simply ignore the cultures and ideas that exist in the world our students will become close minded hermits. I do not think any teacher would want that for their students.

Semester 2: Reflection 2

Accountability is extremely important when using cooperative learning as a teaching strategy. All students in a particular group need to be held responsible for the work that they do. For the election lesson plan I would keep the accountability process simple. I would have the students research their respective candidates individually, and then teach what they learned to the group. In a very informal way, simply being required to report to their group is a form of accountability in and of itself. However, there is always the risk of a student simply not caring about not being prepared in front of their peers. In order to combat this problem I would also have the students take notes on their respective candidates and then right a very short response on a specific issue that they agree with or disagree with that they will turn in. This would make it so that the student would not only be accountable to his or her peers, but also to the teacher.

Semester 2: Reflection 1

1. More than ever, students of the world today need to have media literacy. Individuals are exposed to more media today than at any other point in history. There are sites like facebook and twitter that allow us to stay in contact with people we went to elementary school with. Smart phones allow us to look up information in a few seconds time. The amount of information that students are exposed to daily is rising dramatically. The problem is that not all information is good information. For example, an Ax ad that encourages the objectification of women should be questioned. By teaching media literacy students are encouraged to interact with the information that they are exposed to as opposed to just taking it at face value.

<span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;">2. I would show the movie Platoon to an American history class. It would definitely need to be in a high school and a permission slips would need to be sent home, as there are some pretty shocking scenes. This movie provides a great look at not only the cruelties of war, but also the attitude of a lot of the soldiers It shows how much disunity and confusion there was. The film would be a god representation of the Vietnam era and it would bring the question of ethics of war to the table.

<span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;">Reflection #12

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;">1. http://www.historicmapsrestored.com/international/northamerica/new_spain1702.html

A. Date: 1702 Authorship: Unknown, but it was for the spanish empire Language: The map is in spanish It looks like it was created as a source for the Spanish Empire.

B. The map portrays Mexico as much larger than it actually is. The shape of Mexico and Central America is also very distorted. I believe that these can be attributed mostly to the lack of knowledge and technology dealing with cartography at the time. However, the maps distortion goes beyond technicalities. For example, the map was clearly made by Spanish settlers, and not the native population. It shows different areas of land that spanish claimed to be part of their empire. I think this map is distorted because it does not acknowledge the natives that lives there,and it pre-supposes Spanish rule.

2. A. It is hard to pick which one is the best. Each one has its strengths and weaknesses. For example, the Mollweide projection is great for depicting accurate area, but the shapes are distorted. The Mercator map shows shapes more accurately, but heavily distorts size and locations. It really depends what you are looking at the map for to determine which one is most accurate.

B. I believe that activity 3 is the most useful in teaching about the constructed nature of maps. The number one obstacle for cartographers is translating a three deimensial figure to a two dimensional one. There is always going to be distortions on maps. This is extremely important. Activity 3 gets students to see how and why maps are distorted by having them interact with maps themselves. By personally interacting with different maps, students will hopefully retain the idea that since maps are inevitably distorted, it is important to understand that different situations will call for different kinds of maps.

<span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;">Reflection # 11 <span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt;">A. I choose civil rights

<span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;">B. . For a Kinetic activity on civil rights I would display quotes from prominent civil rights leaders. I would then have students take a stand on the quotes by walking to a corner that indicates if they agree or disagree. This would most likely be used as a activating strategy.

<span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;">. For a reading assignment I would have students read either a Martin Luther King speech, or a Malcolm X speech. These two figure were extremely iconic during the civil rights movement and their ideas are very interesting. I might have students read both and then have them compare and contrast them.

<span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;">. For a song I would use Billie Holiday's "Strange Fruit." This song was made before the civil rights movement, but it does a great job capturing the racism and blatant disregard for African American rights before the civil rights movement.

<span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;">. For an interpersonal assignment I would have my student s examine the sit in that took place during the civil rights movement. I would find a relevant youtube clip that demonstrated how brutal some of the African Americans who committed to these sit ins were treated. I would make it clear that these people remained calm and did not have violent outbursts even when white people were dumping ketchup on them and threatening their lives. I would then lead a discussion asking the students if they think they would have been able to keep their composure under the circumstances. I will ask the student what they think the people who participated in the sit ins were thinking. Why did they do it?

Reflection #10

<span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;">1.a. Intrinsic motivation is when an individual is motivated to persue something based on their own interst. For example, learning how to play guitar because you like the way it sounds is intrinsic motivation.

<span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;">Extrinsic motivation it when there is something beyond individual interest motivating someone. For example, learning how to play the guitar because it would make your parents proud, even if you do not necessarily like it.

<span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;">b. It is hard to tell if the students in mr. Pineda's class were intrinsically or extrinsically motivated. There was probably a bit of both at work. I am sure that learning the information for the test played a role in motivating the students to pay attention. However, I think they were also genuinely interested in the material. Mr. Pineda's stories did a good job contextualizing the information, and I think the students were intrinsically motivated to learn their rights.

<span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;">2a. Multicultural education is the practice of ensuring that all students, regardless of their diverse backgrounds, recieve equal education. This is accomplished by incorporating material that comes from many different perspectives.

<span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;">b. On a really general level, I will employ multicultural education in my future practice by making myself aware of, and listening to my students perspectives. I will always try to teach multiple narratives, as opposed to only the master narrative. Social studies is often taught from the white male perspective. Although this perspective is important, it might not keep some students who cannot identify with it engaged.

<span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;">I will also try to make my classroom more student centered. This will allow me to learn from my students, as well as them from me. Students can learn a lot from each other, and allowing them to share unique perspectives that they might have will certainly benefit the classroom.

<span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;">3.a. Differentiated instruction in teaching with multiple cultures in mind. Not everyone learns the same, so it is important to attempt to satisfy as many learning styles as possible. If a teacher only lectures, some students might love it, but others will not be getting much out of the class.

<span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;">b. I will need to focus on the **process** in my own practice. Just like all of my students, I will have my own concept of how learning works best. I will need to overcome the desire to take the easy way out and just teach from my own perspective, and accommodate all of my students.

<span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;">4.a. I believe that the the interpersonal, interpersonal, and the bodily kinesthetic intelligences are most prominent in me. <span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;">b. I think the naturalist, and spatial intelligences are most under represented in schools. School is usually confined to the indoors, therefore it might be hard for someone who has a strong naturalistic intelligence to relate to things. I think people of spatial intelligence would need a lot of visual stimulation to make sense of things, which is often neglected in schools.

Reflection #9

1. Describing objectively is to put forth an idea or issue as it exists in reality. There is no individual opinion mixed with the issue when remaining objective. For example, if I am trying to remain objective while talking about the recent controversy surrounding republican presidential hopeful Herman Cain, I would say something like "four separate woman have accused Cain of sexual harassment. He responded by denying the allegations." This is objective because it simply states that factual information of the event. If I were to be subjective, I would not focus so much on how the issue is unfolding factual, but I would instead talk about my own feelings towards it. A subjective statement might look like this... "Herman Cain is pig. four accusations of sexual harassment is far too much to be a coincidence. An individual who is that morally questionable is no way fit to be the chief executive of this country." The subjective statement is essentially rooted in opinion.

2. Tone is everything in the classroom. Remaining impartial during discussion is extremely important. If a teacher uses their classroom to push their own ideas of the world onto students, it really defeats the purpose of school. Students should leave school with the ability to think independently and critically about controversial issues, not with the ability to mindlessly cling onto the opinion of a teacher. I think a lot of students at the middle and high school level hold a lot of opininos without really knowing why they hold them. If a teacher simply rants about their subjective view of the world, it will do nothing to help students develop opinions of their own. all it will do is alienate students who think differently, or convert students from their parents opinion to the teachers (and the teacher will probably receive an angry phone call). I would never want to intimidate students into viewing the world as I do, but by this could easily happen by not remaining impartial.

3. A. I sort of answered this in the above question. It is imperative for educators to maintain impartial tones and objective dispositions because it allows students to formulate their own opinions, and not simply hold an opinion because the teacher (who the students usually view as an expert) tells them to. If a teacher goes on an indignant subjective rant, students will not learn anything. When I think of individuals who are as far from objective as possible, I think of the Wells Hall preachers. The only two reactions I have ever seen to them has been one of either resentment or scoffing them off. Neither of these things provide for a good learning environment.

B. While teaching about a presidential election I think it would be useful to provide students with the objective facts about the candidates stance on issues. I would then have students support a candidate based on specific issues that they agree with. If a student were to protest and make a nihilistic statement about how getting involved in politics is stupid, I would simply push back objectively. Instead of ignoring the students comment, I would other students to give their input about why they think it is or is not important to vote. I might give a few objective examples of countries around the world that do not have right to vote, and what that means for their societies. I would show that their are places where people have absolutely no protection from the government because there is no form of accountability. I would then ask the student to respond.

Reflection #8

A. There are many obstacles to teaching about controversy. For one thing, it can be risky for the teacher. Things can get pretty heated during while teaching about controversial things, and it could be very easy to offend someone. If a student goes home and tells a parent who disagrees with the content that is being taught, the teacher could get in trouble.

It is also time consuming and difficult to run a class when a controversial issue is the topic. The teacher needs to create an environment where it is conducive to learning, even if the topic being discussed makes some students uncomfortable. This is hards work.

B. Werner thinks controversy is worth addressing. Part of becoming an effective citizen is becoming aware, and thoughtful of issues. It is extremely important for students to develop the critical thinking skills so that they can formulate their own opinion about controversial issues. It so easy to detach yourself from conflict, but one of the cornerstones of democracy is becoming aware of conflict, and then participating in its resolution. If students are not taught how to think trough tough issues, apathy is often the result.

C. I think controversy can be extremely useful, and plan to use it in the future. Just because it is hard to use, does not mean it should not be used. If it is used correctly, controversy can captivate, and motivate students, while teaching them valuable life skills. I think that avoiding controversial issues would not only prevent students from being prepared to enter the real world, but it is also a blatantly false picture of social studies. History and government are filled with controversy. I think that by not teaching this controversy, we would not be teaching our subjects properly.

Reflection #7

__**PERSONAL Q's:**__
a. My temperament type is idealist. The letters were just NF

b. In very general terms, I view an idealist as someone who looks at the future with optimism. In an attempt to make a bright future a reality, an idealist strives to be the best person that they can be. An idealist wants to help the individual and society become the best possible versions of themselves that they can be. Essentially, an idealist always has improvement on his or her mind.

c. Some names that stood out to me were Plato, George Orwell, and Albert Camus. It does not really surprise me that I received an Idealist temperament after seeing these names, because they all played a part in shaping who I am. In high school my brother recommended that I read some of Orwell's classics like 1984 and Animal Farm. In both of these novels, Orwell paints a pretty gloom picture of what the world could potentially look like if humans give up their liberty. His concepts of freedom and how humans ought to treat each other really stuck with me.

In college, I had to read "Plato's Republic" for one of my classes. This great philosophical work calls into question what the meaning of justice is, and then strives to create an ideal republic based on that meaning. I can really relate to the inquisitive desire for truth that Plato represents through Socrates.

d. Education matches the idealist temperament spot on. One of the main reasons I want to go into education is because I have always been interested in elevating individuals opinion of themselves. I think people can do great things, but they need to become aware of their true potential first. What better way to do this than education!?

a. economic: -4.75, political: -5.13
 * __POLITICAL Q's:__** *(This can be kept to yourself, but be sure to answer these in electronic writing to show your instructor that you have done this.)

b.I was definitely closer to Obama. It did not surprise me at all.

c. I cannot say I identify too greatly with any one of the individuals, but if I had to pick one I would say the Dahlia Llama. I know that he is very tolerant of all religious beliefs. People have the liberty to believe in whatever they please, and it is important to be tolerant of those beliefs.

d. This exercise shows that the political economy is an extremely complex thing. Opinions of how society ought to operate are extremely fragmented. This fragmentation makes the two party system difficult. For example, I usually vote for democrats because I am more in agreement with them on a lot of social issues. This does not necessarily mean that I am in agreement with every thing the democrats do economically. I think that for the two party system to function in a healthy way, candidates should hold fairly moderate views. This would prevent radicals from either side imposing their views on others, and it would create an environment of understanding and greater cooperation. For example, if I am a communist libertarian and a neo-liberal fascist is in office, I will feel alienated and angry. But if someone who is more moderate were to be in office, I would probably still be a little angry, but I would find i much easier to relate to him or her.

Reflection #6

Christopher Columbus is often revered as a hero. Ask any American walking what year Columbus discovered America and most will think of the catchy rhyme "1492, the year Columbus sailed across the ocean blue." He is certainly a prolific figure in history. After all, his accidental discover of the Americas paved the way for European colonization, which lead to the forming of our great country. It is easy to see why so many people revere Columbus as hero. However, for all of the opportunities that he created, he (along with his crew) also committed terrible atrocities that are objectively wrong when viewed from modern society. When one looks at the person Columbus really was as opposed to the person that they want him to be, it becomes clear that his actions should in no way be celebrated. By celebrating Columbus day, we are covering up the true story of Christopher Columbus, and condoning behavior that goes directly against liberty and morals. Christopher Columbus should certainly be recognized, but not as a hero. One very important reason to study history is to prevent atrocities that were morally wrong from ever occurring again. There is not much point in studying history if we change it to feel less guilt and to help us sleep at night. Students should know that Columbus discovered America, but they should also know that he unashamedly kidnapped hundreds of Indians, forced slaver upon them, and stole land from them. If more Americans knew this history of Columbus, they would seriously question if he is a figure worth celebrating. Just because something is unpleasant to think about does not mean that it is not worth thinking about. For example, it would be considered a great injustice to omit things like slavery, or the Holocaust from our text books simply because they are not fun to think about. Learning history should involve the process of critical thinking. This cannot happen if facts are blatantly omitted. If one were to treat the history of slavery the same way that the history of Columbus is treated, they would leave out the horrible living conditions of slaves, the extremely strenuous labour, and the way they were auctioned off as property. Instead they would only focus on the fact that slavery was economically prosperous, and therefore Justified. Leaving out key elements of history prevents extremely valuable lessons from being learned in the present. Columbus certainly accomplished a lot by discovering America, but should in no way be viewed as a hero.

Reflection #5

1. . Formal Curriculum: Unit plan . Delivered Curriculum: A side discussion about the Supreme Court while learning about Dread Scott . Learned Curriculum: A student learning about the Dread Scott case . Hidden Curriculum: A student learns to respect other people's opinions. . Null Curriculum: Woman's role in history

2. The teacher comes in at about half way down the ladder in terms of being actively involved in the curriculum. Teachers are involved in department plans, course plans, unit plans, and lesson plans. Depending on the school district, the role that the teacher plays in these different dynamics of curriculum will change. There will always be state and national standards that need to be met. If a teacher is in a fairly flexible district, they will have much more freedom and responsibility in determining how to meet those state and national standards. For example, some teachers will have an active role in creating their department plans, while others will already have it created for them. Teachers will be most active in creating unit plans, and lesson plans. It is important when creating lesson plans to be aware of of the hidden curriculum and the null curriculum. The main role a teacher plays in creating a curriculum is how they are going to deliver the information that they are required to teach.

Reflection #4

A. My knowledge of the Middle East is fairly limited. I know that it is currently an area that is rife with conflict. A majority of the population is Muslim. A lot of the governments in Middle Eastern countries consist of dictatorships or religious authoritarian regimes. I know that Iran is currently run by a hierarchy based on religion. This is a bit of a generalization, but for the most part, most middle eastern societies are not as liberal in terms of free speech and media as the west. It is an area that is rich with natural resources, which plays a big role in the global economy. I would like to learn more about the every day life of an average individual living in the middle east.

B. I would define the term "modern" as different aspects and events that are characteristic of a specific current situation. The term "Middle East" is used to describe both the geographical location and the culture that is associated with that location. I think it is important not to overgeneralize the Middle East. Of course there are a lot of similarities amongst the different States that make up the region, but each State still has its own unique culture and norms.

C. It is extremely important for citizens to study the Middle East. This subject offers insight into a very unique and different life style. in a post 9/11 society, it can be extremely easy to racially profile someone from the middle east. A lot of people are only aware of the stereotypes that they have learned about through parents, or hearsay. It would be valuable for all U.S citizens to learn that just because they do not understand a particular culture, it is not necessarily wrong. A well informed citizen will essentially not fall victim to irrational prejudices and fears.

Reflection #3

A. A unit plan should essentially create a guiding question that encompasses the information that the teacher wants the student to take away from the lesson. By forming a general question in regards to the unit, the teacher will need to come up with ways to answer it. The content that the teacher decides will be useful to answer the question will be what each lesson is made up of.

B. If teachers do not have a general idea of what he or she wants students to take away from the unit in general, the daily lessons will suffer. Theorizing what is important to take away from a unit will add purpose and meaning to each lesson. It shows students that you know what you are doing, and you have there interest at heart.

C. Unit plans are practical because they make lesson organization easier. A teacher can plan a set amount of lessons that fall into each unit and determine how long each one will take. This will help greatly with time management, and will ensure that you are only teaching what is important. A semester long class filled with unit plans will ensure that the teacher is utilizing his or her time adequately.

D. If a teacher does not know the important overarching issue in a unit, students will not know what is important either. If students do not see any purpose in what they are being taught, the will loose interest and motivation. The class room environment will suffer greatly. By having a focused and well thought out unit, students are more likely to be engaged and motivated. I think providing motivation and purpose for students is an essential part of teaching philosophy. Since a coherent unit plan can help do this, it goes hand in hand with philosophy.

Reflection #2

A lesson plan is an outline for a specific class. It essentially sets the direction for class by forcing the instructor to think about the materiel that they want to convey in a meaningful way. I think that trying to teach a class without a lesson plan would be like trying to drive to an unfamiliar place without a map. Of course you could get to your destination eventually by stopping to ask for directions or trying to figure it out yourself, but there is a a good possibility of getting lost. You could avoid potential problem by bringing a map (or gps).

I think teachers need lesson plans because it can be so easy to get off topic. as mentioned above a lesson plan clearly lays out the direction of class. Without thinking about the specifics of a class, like how long a lecture should take, what the students and teacher needs, and the objective of the class, the learning in the class will suffer greatly. Lesson plans are especially essential for new teachers because it forces them to think about how they are going to convey the information that they want to convey. For people who are inexperienced, lesson plans will relieve anxiety about teaching.

For all of the benefits that lesson planing has, it certainly has its shortcomings. For example, it might not allow for a lot of flexibility. If the class starts going in another direction than the teacher planned, he or she will be more reluctant to divert from the lesson plan. Sometimes going with the momentum of class can be a very good thing. If teachers feel like they constantly need to follow the rules of their plan, it could lead to a less creative and energetic class.

Reflection #1

A. My favorite memory a social studies class took place in my 11th grade government class. I had a teacher who was very good at playing devils advocate. He would constantly challenge my middle ground opinions with really radical counterpoints. Some times students would easily be able to discredit the teachers prodding, but other times I was truly forced to re-think my stance on serious issues. My teacher helped me formulate well thought out views of the world by making sure that I could defend my opinion against his brutal questioning.

B. My worst experience in a social studies class was in a current events class during my senior year of high school. Everyone has had those classes where they leave the class at the end of the semester not feeling like they learned a thing. My teacher was nearing retirement and it was clear that he did not have any intentions of putting a lot of effort into the class. The entire class literally consisted of reading the Detroit Free Press daily, and then summarizing an article that we liked. There was no discussion, no guidance from the teacher, and worst of all no point. Most of the class did not even bother reading because they knew that they could simply BS their way through a summery. It was essentially a social hour that I did not take any thing away from (aside from how not to teach a class).

C. I want to teach social studies because we live in a world where decisions that people make on the other side of the globe effect us. With globalization on the rise, it is increasingly important for future members of our society to understand different world views. Since most people cannot witness all of the different perspectives in the world first-hand, I think the social studies classroom provides a safe environment for students to travel mentally. Social studies is extremely important in the environment of school because it allows students to discus their opinions with their peers. Ultimately I want my future students to understand and appreciate other world views and find a meaningful way to incorporate those views into their own lives.