Cultural Diversity in the Classroom

I can implement cultural diversity by using ideas/materials that relate to the different cultures in my classroom. I can do projects about different countries and symbols that represent that country. Make sure each student feels significant in the classroom everyday. I can do this by displaying students (bulletin board). Also point out students by encouraging them or giving a compliment. "You are such a delight" or "I really like your shoes". I like Mark Worley" quote, "There are no insignificant people in the Kingdom of God". Teachers should teach by this quote each day in their classroom. Teachers need to allow each student to have a voice and know he/she has a voice in the classroom. Just like the Yorbua tribe, who were very intelligent human beings were forced into slavery under different assumptions. Nobody knew they were that intelligent because others did not understand the culture. Teachers should make an effort to understand individual students everyday and make observations of what they notice. By doing this teachers will be able to communicate and teach every child in the classroom because the teacher knows the students' culture.

Keep ACCESS!!!

Dear Dusty Rubeck,

I think ACCESS is a great program for anyone who wants to become a teacher. It covers probably every aspect of teaching and involves experienced people throughout the program.  Each class puts a great emphasis on teaching and how to teach. The "Teaching and Learning" class focuses on how the brain operates to gain knowledge and recall memories. Each class is unique to its' own area of teaching and formatted to fit every kind of teacher. Whether he or she is acquiring early childhood certification or music certification. I have not look into many teacher alternative certification programs, but I would have to say ACCESS is the most unique and valuable program for a potential teacher.  

                                                                                            Sincerely,
                                                                                                   Angela Hickman

Blog 3- Book Report

 Learning that is hands-on is more likely to be recalled. Teachers can try to do as much active learning as possible for each lesson in the classroom. This includes role playing, creating a project, and hands-on experiments. Teachers can help students learn new words by asking students to create action pictures of the word. Any kind of graphic organizer help students to recall knowledge or build on prior knowledge. Some of the graphic organizers teachers can use is a flow chart, mapping, and Venn diagram. Flash cards and quick reaction games help store and recall memories too. 
The brain learns best by repeating an earlier learning and it makes neural pathways more efficient. When the brain is stimulated by new ideas or situations like listening to music or solving a problem it produces more electrical energy that allows people to recall memories. Having an stimulating classroom environment promotes learning and motivation. Teachers can put in place brain stimulating activities to help students recall new and old information.       

Blog Post 2- Book Report

I believe the primary caregiver of a child is responsible for getting a child ready for school. Their relationship with the child determines whether the child will have learning success. An enriched environment affects the development of the brain. To maximize brain growth children need to have enough challenges with feedback to learn from the experience. I think it does matter whether the feedback is specific or general because students need exact feedback to learn just like computers or editing a paper is exact. It is most helpful when the feedback is immediate. There are many factors for getting the brain to think and learn. The brain has high and low attention cycles, in which attention can affect discipline in the classroom. Genes can have a major part in the behavior of students and more active learning strategies can help. I think children who are out of control active learning will help by keeping them distracted with their learning. Stress and motivation can have a major role in learning too. Students are not likely to learn as much when they feel threatened or helpless. I think motivation keeps children engaged in their learning environment. Different memory pathways allow for different types of memories. I think teachers need to understand different strategies children use to learn and manipulate these learning factors to enable every student to learn in the classroom.  

Brain-Compatible Classroom

Angela Hickman:

"Teaching with the Brain in Mind" by Eric Jensen. Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development, 1998.

Students need to be school readiness, which first starts in the womb. Students need to be emotional and motor skill readiness.Threat, nutrition, and sleep are important for students to be ready for school. For students to learn they need to had nutrients to help the brain digest new information. Hydration is important to keep salt levels down that will increase blood pressure and stress. Most of a child's emotional intelligences is learned during the first year. The relationship between a child's primary caregiver and the child will determine if the child will develop learning problems. The parent(s) role in the child's life is the most crucial part of the emotional development of a child. Parents are responsible for getting children ready for school. During the school years, teachers can get parents more involved by encouraging them  to talk more with their child and solve problems together. As teachers, the areas that can be worked with are the students, staff, and community to influence children to be ready for school.  

Inspiring Teachers

The teachers who inspired me the most would my 3rd and 4th grade teachers. They seemed to really care about the students and be interested about my life as well as the other students' lives. All of my elementary teachers had an impact on my life, but I feel my 3rd and 4th grade teachers inspired me the most. My first grade teacher would tell me how creative I was, so I think all my elementary teachers contributed in their own way that influenced my life.    

Brain-Compatible Classroom

The 3 domains of learning are cognitive, affective, and psychomotor. There are guidelines for brain-compatible classrooms that include four characteristics: active, meaningful learning; accurate, timely feedback; stimulating, varied input; and safe, nonthreatening environment.