Mountains beyond Mountains is a wonderful book by Tracy Kidder. It is the story of Dr. Paul Farmer who spends his life in Haiti, helping cure diseases like TB and AIDS. Now what does this story have to do with education? We determined that there were many metaphors and ideas throughout this book that can be applied to education. The main one being to work with the individual students you have now. It is important to differentiate your instruction for each individual because we are all different. Our slogan became 'Think Globally, Act Locally' to remind us that the big goals are necessary, but they can only be accomplished if we work on a person by person basis.
You can watch our project here. CLICK HERE!
Monday, May 11, 2009
Sunday, May 3, 2009
The Adolescent Brain
Last Monday night, our Education Psychology class had the privilege of hearing a lecture by Karen Williams about the Adolescent Brain. I found this presentation very valuable. Even though this speech was geared towards a younger audience, I still thought it was incredibly engaging. Karen Williams was able to stand up in front of an auditorium of many college students and act out different scenes, make funny faces, and encourage us to participate in her lecture.
Her main focus was to show how the brain develops from age 5 to about age 20. What we learned was that by age 20 the brain was still not fully developed. In fact, the part of the brain that controls thinking and decision making is that last to develop. Despite the fact that I went to this lecture a week ago, I can still remember what her main points were. I believe that this is because she took the time to have us participate. To demonstrate the concept that the brain is rapidly making connections at a young age she had the audience clap as fast as they could. More energetic clapping signified the times in a person's life where their brain is overactive and drinking in as much information as it can.
These two periods in time were from 2-3 years of age and from 14-15 years of age. Of course these ranges are not the same in every person, but in general these few years of our lives are important times for our brain. It just so happens that these years are also very important to learning. What children are exposed to in these years will help them grow in those abilities. This presentation really helped me understand how the brain works. And as a teacher I plan on making sure my students get exposed to many ideas during this wonderful time in their lives.
To learn more about the adolescent brain click here.
Her main focus was to show how the brain develops from age 5 to about age 20. What we learned was that by age 20 the brain was still not fully developed. In fact, the part of the brain that controls thinking and decision making is that last to develop. Despite the fact that I went to this lecture a week ago, I can still remember what her main points were. I believe that this is because she took the time to have us participate. To demonstrate the concept that the brain is rapidly making connections at a young age she had the audience clap as fast as they could. More energetic clapping signified the times in a person's life where their brain is overactive and drinking in as much information as it can.
These two periods in time were from 2-3 years of age and from 14-15 years of age. Of course these ranges are not the same in every person, but in general these few years of our lives are important times for our brain. It just so happens that these years are also very important to learning. What children are exposed to in these years will help them grow in those abilities. This presentation really helped me understand how the brain works. And as a teacher I plan on making sure my students get exposed to many ideas during this wonderful time in their lives.
To learn more about the adolescent brain click here.
Sunday, April 26, 2009
Blogging is not the only way.
Throughout this semester, blogging has been an interesting task to keep on top of. I have to admit, at first I was relatively skeptical of this idea. However, I have to say my opinions have changed. It's been fun to write down my thoughts about education and our class discussions. Our question for this week. How is technology useful? How can you visualize using blogging in your future classroom?
I find this a very hard question to answer. Although I personally have grown to like this blog, I don't think others have taken to it quite as much. I find the blogs I'm following to be interesting, but if nothing new is written there is no gain. I think this would be an important aspect of incorporating blogs into a classroom. For them to remain a successful part of the learning process, they can not simply be created and not put to use. If no one comments, or creates a conversation from my or others thoughts, there is no learning taking place. So, in a classroom setting this would have to be strictly monitored.
On the other hand, strictly monitoring what students write on their blogs could easily be detrimental to the entire idea. I do not believe students will be free with their thoughts, or want to write in a blog if they are required to do so. I recently read in an article entitled, Play and Social Interaction in Middle Childhood by Doris Bergen and Doris Pronin Fromberg. This article explained that if a child or student chooses an activity, they think of it as play whereas if they are told they must do something, it is thought of as work. Blogging may be looked at by students as just another part of the work that they have to do for school.
If I eventually used blogs in my classroom, they would not be graded assignments. It would be simply for the entertainment of my students. I would of course monitor them from time to time to make sure nothing inappropriate was happening, but I would not require more than a single first entry from each student. I think that with encouraging statements, some students would become excited about the blogs. And for the ones who didn't, I would find another way for them to be excited about creating conversation between them and their peers. Blogging is not the only way to have meaningful conversation.
I find this a very hard question to answer. Although I personally have grown to like this blog, I don't think others have taken to it quite as much. I find the blogs I'm following to be interesting, but if nothing new is written there is no gain. I think this would be an important aspect of incorporating blogs into a classroom. For them to remain a successful part of the learning process, they can not simply be created and not put to use. If no one comments, or creates a conversation from my or others thoughts, there is no learning taking place. So, in a classroom setting this would have to be strictly monitored.
On the other hand, strictly monitoring what students write on their blogs could easily be detrimental to the entire idea. I do not believe students will be free with their thoughts, or want to write in a blog if they are required to do so. I recently read in an article entitled, Play and Social Interaction in Middle Childhood by Doris Bergen and Doris Pronin Fromberg. This article explained that if a child or student chooses an activity, they think of it as play whereas if they are told they must do something, it is thought of as work. Blogging may be looked at by students as just another part of the work that they have to do for school.
If I eventually used blogs in my classroom, they would not be graded assignments. It would be simply for the entertainment of my students. I would of course monitor them from time to time to make sure nothing inappropriate was happening, but I would not require more than a single first entry from each student. I think that with encouraging statements, some students would become excited about the blogs. And for the ones who didn't, I would find another way for them to be excited about creating conversation between them and their peers. Blogging is not the only way to have meaningful conversation.
Saturday, April 18, 2009
As a future teacher I need to work on developing my pedagogical content knowledge. This means the knowledge I will need to effectively teach my students. Chapter 11 in our Educational Psychology text book focuses on content areas, and how to teach them. The 5 categories focused on were reading, writing, math, science, and social studies. As a future music educator, I tried to examine how these content areas would be used within my classroom.
The two of these content areas I have the most strength in are reading and math. As an avid reader, I feel I would definitely be able to help students to read in my classroom. You may be thinking that math can not be used in a music classroom, but it definitely can be used. Teaching note values to students involves math, however basic, but this skill is essential to understanding how to read music.
My weaknesses fall in science and social studies. As I further my education and career, I intend to work on incorporating these disciplines into my classroom. A website entitled Edutopia is a great place to start this search. They have pages developed specifically for teachers. One which relates specifically to this idea of expert knowledge and Teacher Development is particularly useful.
In order to become a successful teacher I need to focus on my specific area of music but also to pay attention to how to teach this subject effectively. I think teacher development is important even after finishing college. It is a process that should keep moving forward throughout my career.
The two of these content areas I have the most strength in are reading and math. As an avid reader, I feel I would definitely be able to help students to read in my classroom. You may be thinking that math can not be used in a music classroom, but it definitely can be used. Teaching note values to students involves math, however basic, but this skill is essential to understanding how to read music.
My weaknesses fall in science and social studies. As I further my education and career, I intend to work on incorporating these disciplines into my classroom. A website entitled Edutopia is a great place to start this search. They have pages developed specifically for teachers. One which relates specifically to this idea of expert knowledge and Teacher Development is particularly useful.
In order to become a successful teacher I need to focus on my specific area of music but also to pay attention to how to teach this subject effectively. I think teacher development is important even after finishing college. It is a process that should keep moving forward throughout my career.
Friday, April 10, 2009
Chalk and Wire
Chalk and Wire, a seemingly simple idea, has become a major discussion between Luther College's education majors. This online portfolio is a way for teachers to track students developments, and for students to provide examples of how they are developing as an upcoming teacher. I think this online portfolio is a great idea. With the world already focused on the internet, how great it will be for future employers to learn about you before they even meet you!
I have come to realize that not many people on campus think this is a good idea. Honestly, I think most of the reasoning is because they don't want to do the work. But if you think about it, we all need to put together a portfolio anyway. Why not do it online? Our presentation in class was very helpful in helping us actually use Chalk and Wire. So why are people still against it?
Some reasons why people do not want to fulfill this requirement are the cost, and the vague nature of the portfolio itself. This program is very expensive for a seemingly low amount of benefit. If it was not required to pass the class, I know some people would not invest this money. However, for me the main reason it is so difficult to understand is the limited information students have received. I looked up Chalk and Wire at other schools, and here are what their websites show. The University of South Florida Sarasota-Manatee has an education program webpage devoted to chalk and wire. This website answers questions as to why Chalk and Wire is required. Similarly, Hope College has a website which introduces the "Tech Team" who is available for any help needed with Chalk and Wire.
In order to make Chalk and Wire a beneficial tool for students, Luther needs to implement its use more strategically. Communication between the department and students would help bridge the gap that is currently formed between students and Chalk and Wire. If more information were available, more students would realize how this portfolio can be very useful to them in the future. There is no doubt that face to face meeting is superior to any online activity, this portfolio is simply a way to start a more personal interaction.
Please feel free to check out the above links to other Chalk and Wire pages.
Wednesday, April 1, 2009
Let's do something!
How do family roles shape our lives? Are they really that important?
I believe that family dynamics are the most important aspects of raising children. A perfect example of this is the social system in Vietnam. Doan Van Diew, from Ho Chi Minh University in Vietnam spoke to our Education Psychology class this past Monday. He had conducted research about what students and parents value in Vietnam. The evidence overwhelmingly showed that both students and parents valued respect, and secondly success in education.
For us here in the United States, this may seem foreign. Sometimes we cannot even seem to respect ourselves, let alone other people. People here may try to put the emphasis on recieving a sucessful education, but do the students believe it? With all of the reality tv shows out there, the biggest one probably being American Idol, children see that success does not necesarily come from doing well in school. This issue is growing and growing in todays society.
I think that all people in this country should take a look at other cultures. It is important to look around us to see what is working. If we could adopt a new set of standards based on respect, we could go very far. Teachers wouldn't have to worry about babysitting students. The students would learn at home that it is important to respect your peers and other adults. This alone would help more learning happen in schools. It's as simple as making a slight change in the family dynamics and teaching parents how to teach their children. We need to change our attitude, because doing nothing is never the best route to a solution.
I believe that family dynamics are the most important aspects of raising children. A perfect example of this is the social system in Vietnam. Doan Van Diew, from Ho Chi Minh University in Vietnam spoke to our Education Psychology class this past Monday. He had conducted research about what students and parents value in Vietnam. The evidence overwhelmingly showed that both students and parents valued respect, and secondly success in education.
For us here in the United States, this may seem foreign. Sometimes we cannot even seem to respect ourselves, let alone other people. People here may try to put the emphasis on recieving a sucessful education, but do the students believe it? With all of the reality tv shows out there, the biggest one probably being American Idol, children see that success does not necesarily come from doing well in school. This issue is growing and growing in todays society.
I think that all people in this country should take a look at other cultures. It is important to look around us to see what is working. If we could adopt a new set of standards based on respect, we could go very far. Teachers wouldn't have to worry about babysitting students. The students would learn at home that it is important to respect your peers and other adults. This alone would help more learning happen in schools. It's as simple as making a slight change in the family dynamics and teaching parents how to teach their children. We need to change our attitude, because doing nothing is never the best route to a solution.
Saturday, March 21, 2009
More Hope
The conclusion of the movie "Chalk" was really interesting. When watching the movie again, I realized that it seemed as if they were portraying teachers as being stupid, or incompetent. I think this is a very untrue view. However, as I watched further and saw the end of this movie, I realized that these teachers had shown so much growth throughout this first year at the school. The first year history teacher was able to loosen up and involve his students in the classroom. He even came up with the idea of the Hornet's spelling bee for the teachers.
This idea is what interests me so much in teaching. How can we, as teachers, connect with students? There are subjects that each student can excel in, and it is our job to spark and guide that interest. I think that the new history teacher would have learned and loved teaching more if he had started out the year in a good way. Learning from mistakes and experiences is the most valuable way to learn.
If I can go into a teaching situation and help at least one student I will feel successful. However, my goal is to help many more than one. I just want to help kids find something they love, and give them something to look forward too. It will be a tough road to follow, but I feel like after watching this movie, I have more hope for my future as a teacher.
Tuesday, March 10, 2009
"The Office" For Teachers!
The movie Chalk definitely does seem like The Office for teachers! It is an overview of a school year for a few teachers in a school. After watching the first half of this movie, I think it is very obvious that this is not 'reality tv' but instead a scripted movie about the flaws in our education system.
Most of the teachers in this movie do not have great teaching skills. Although the movie does only focus on the lives of the teachers and not much on how they are teaching, I think this fact enhances the thoughts that teachers are too concerned with their own issues. In real life I do not always believe that is true, but in this movie it is. There is a first year History teacher who has no skills with classroom management yet. His students are disrespectful and make fun of him all the time. As a potential teacher this is probably the biggest nightmare. How do you control a classroom? How does your appearance affect your students perception of you? How do you change their thoughts and actions? This history teacher is a great example of someone who is struggling to gain control in the classroom.
Another history teacher, a third year, has taken the opposite approach; he is very friendly with the kids, because he wants to become teacher of the year. I think this is also a good example of something to learn from as a new teacher. Being students friends is not a good way to make sure they are learning.
As I'm talking about focusing too much on the teachers, they are all I'm writing about. But throughout the movie so far I realize that the students in this school do not seem stupid. They do not lack the ability to learn and grow, they just simply are taking the easy road through school because their teachers are letting them. I think these students could be doing very well if they had the right instruction. These teachers are experts in their fields of knowledge, and should be trying to help the students learn and become excited about different parts of the world. I'm excited to see the conclusion of this movie, and how these teachers change.
Most of the teachers in this movie do not have great teaching skills. Although the movie does only focus on the lives of the teachers and not much on how they are teaching, I think this fact enhances the thoughts that teachers are too concerned with their own issues. In real life I do not always believe that is true, but in this movie it is. There is a first year History teacher who has no skills with classroom management yet. His students are disrespectful and make fun of him all the time. As a potential teacher this is probably the biggest nightmare. How do you control a classroom? How does your appearance affect your students perception of you? How do you change their thoughts and actions? This history teacher is a great example of someone who is struggling to gain control in the classroom.
Another history teacher, a third year, has taken the opposite approach; he is very friendly with the kids, because he wants to become teacher of the year. I think this is also a good example of something to learn from as a new teacher. Being students friends is not a good way to make sure they are learning.
As I'm talking about focusing too much on the teachers, they are all I'm writing about. But throughout the movie so far I realize that the students in this school do not seem stupid. They do not lack the ability to learn and grow, they just simply are taking the easy road through school because their teachers are letting them. I think these students could be doing very well if they had the right instruction. These teachers are experts in their fields of knowledge, and should be trying to help the students learn and become excited about different parts of the world. I'm excited to see the conclusion of this movie, and how these teachers change.
Tuesday, March 3, 2009
What do you believe?
I just watched a movie entitled "Believe in your students" from the Luther College Education Psychology website. This video made me think, do teachers believe in their students any longer? Do teachers want their students to achieve? Or are teachers too concerned with legislation like No Child Left Behind which mandates tests and scores? I think that believing and trusting in students has been forgotten. The children in this country are not stupid. In fact I would say most of them are very intelligent. So why are students not achieving in schools?
In response to the question posted on the Ed. Psych blog, I think that some students are not trusted in classrooms today because they act up, or speak out of turn. But isn't that the beauty of life? Not everyone is the same. It is important as teachers to pay attention to each child, and learn about them. This ties in to exactly what chapter 7 in our text discusses.
Chapter 7 describes learning as a relatively permanent influence on behavior. I agree with this, but it is how one learns that is important. At our meeting last night we spoke with Steve Chambliss, a retired teacher, counselor and superintendent. His advice was worth listening to. After some solid teaching it is important to get more education. Also, he suggested to try to push the limits of your comfort zone. This will help to improve your self-efficacy. Prove to yourself you can do something, and you will become a better teacher. As teachers we need to explore different ways of teaching: from operant conditioning to classical conditioning there are many ways to help students, and ourselves, learn. But learning cannot happen without trust. If we can apply ourselves, learn to believe in our students, and push our comfort zones so we can learn and experience more, I believe we have a great chance at becoming great teachers.
In response to the question posted on the Ed. Psych blog, I think that some students are not trusted in classrooms today because they act up, or speak out of turn. But isn't that the beauty of life? Not everyone is the same. It is important as teachers to pay attention to each child, and learn about them. This ties in to exactly what chapter 7 in our text discusses.
Chapter 7 describes learning as a relatively permanent influence on behavior. I agree with this, but it is how one learns that is important. At our meeting last night we spoke with Steve Chambliss, a retired teacher, counselor and superintendent. His advice was worth listening to. After some solid teaching it is important to get more education. Also, he suggested to try to push the limits of your comfort zone. This will help to improve your self-efficacy. Prove to yourself you can do something, and you will become a better teacher. As teachers we need to explore different ways of teaching: from operant conditioning to classical conditioning there are many ways to help students, and ourselves, learn. But learning cannot happen without trust. If we can apply ourselves, learn to believe in our students, and push our comfort zones so we can learn and experience more, I believe we have a great chance at becoming great teachers.
Tuesday, February 24, 2009
The things I wish I knew before. . .
Last night we had our "New Teacher Panel" at our Monday night class. There were three teachers from the area who had all attended Luther and were there to share their experiences from the first years of teaching. I have to say that I think it is very important to remember that these three teachers all grew up in Decorah and still live in or near Decorah today. Coming from a rather big town, with very large schools, myself, I am wondering how teachers from Decorah fare in bigger communities. But nonetheless, here are my observations.
I noticed that these three teachers really liked the fact that they were able to get to know their students. This is an important aspect of small schools in a smaller community. These teachers seemed to think that Luther prepared them well for their lesson planning and observation time. I am very glad to hear that. It makes sense that being prepared will make you a better teacher. One thing in particular that they mentioned was to keep up with portfolio's, especially the on-line one. This is something I myself need to look into more. I currently do not understand the Chalk-and-Wire system we have here. It seems like it will be a good resource to have down the road so I will begin to look at that soon.
One major challenge all three teachers shared was being able to find a balance between home and work, and within the working environment itself. This is something I am dealing with now. I have more classes this semester than ever before in addition to work and choirs. I completely understand the need to find a good balance of activities. I will definitely take that advice and try to keep myself in a good place.
The most interesting conversation for me was about the technology use in schools. One teacher said that in his school all of the students had their own personal laptops provided by the school. I was amazed that each indi
vidual student had one! This seems absurd to me, but as they said, teaching will age you. I think I will need to search for and learn ways to incorporate technology in the classroom but also make sure that it isn't inhibiting the learning environment. I feel that too much technology will make social skills almost non-existent. I really hope that students will still love to read and play. I think technology can also be a crutch so that is something to keep in mind when I have my own classroom.
Overall, I think talking to these teachers was a good experience. It was reassuring for me to learn that life does go on after Luther and people are successful. Right now everything I'm involved in seems just to get through college, but I have to remember that it is in fact to set myself up for a successful future. I hope I can use what these teachers have said to improve who I will become as a teacher.
I noticed that these three teachers really liked the fact that they were able to get to know their students. This is an important aspect of small schools in a smaller community. These teachers seemed to think that Luther prepared them well for their lesson planning and observation time. I am very glad to hear that. It makes sense that being prepared will make you a better teacher. One thing in particular that they mentioned was to keep up with portfolio's, especially the on-line one. This is something I myself need to look into more. I currently do not understand the Chalk-and-Wire system we have here. It seems like it will be a good resource to have down the road so I will begin to look at that soon.
One major challenge all three teachers shared was being able to find a balance between home and work, and within the working environment itself. This is something I am dealing with now. I have more classes this semester than ever before in addition to work and choirs. I completely understand the need to find a good balance of activities. I will definitely take that advice and try to keep myself in a good place.
The most interesting conversation for me was about the technology use in schools. One teacher said that in his school all of the students had their own personal laptops provided by the school. I was amazed that each indi
vidual student had one! This seems absurd to me, but as they said, teaching will age you. I think I will need to search for and learn ways to incorporate technology in the classroom but also make sure that it isn't inhibiting the learning environment. I feel that too much technology will make social skills almost non-existent. I really hope that students will still love to read and play. I think technology can also be a crutch so that is something to keep in mind when I have my own classroom.Overall, I think talking to these teachers was a good experience. It was reassuring for me to learn that life does go on after Luther and people are successful. Right now everything I'm involved in seems just to get through college, but I have to remember that it is in fact to set myself up for a successful future. I hope I can use what these teachers have said to improve who I will become as a teacher.
Sunday, February 22, 2009
Just a little more green.
Majora Carter is a wonderful advocate for creating a 'green' world. I attended her lecture, "Greening our Cities", on February 2nd at the CFL at Luther College. Growing up in the Bronx in New York, she has had many life experiences I have never even imagined. The first thing I noticed about Majora Carter is how comfortable she was in front of this group. She seemed in charge and excited to share her message. This fact made me very excited to learn what she had to tell.
She opened her speech by shouting "Majora is in Decorah!" I thought that was absolutely amazing. This helped her audience feel comfortable because they were able to laugh with her. After this Majora told a few stories about her life which transitioned perfectly into her work in making the Bronx a cleaner place for the cities inhabitants.
In order to help her explain her story, she had a slide show which consisted of pictures, diagrams, videos, and information. She emphazised how we needed to do something about this 'dirty energy economy' where we pollute the earth endlessly. She included facts about how this energy pollution has affected us. Some statistics she stated were: one of four children have asthma, there is a great obesity epidemic, and fossil feul emmissions cause learning disabilities. All of these are very detrimental to our way of life. I think that we, the people of the world, should be wanting to preserve the earth for future generations, not trying to destroy it.
After describing the effects of this pollution, Majora explained some of her solutions to this problem. The best part about her ideas were that in addition to making cities more green, they also provide jobs for people who do not have any. It starts with simply cleaning up a dump, and eventually progresses through making parks and to creating a 'Greenway'. This Greenway is in the process of being built right now in the Bronx. It will provide bike paths, trees and bushes to the people of the Bronx.
Majora Carter has recently created her own organization called the Majora Carter Group. I really encourage everyone to look at her website and see if you can help make a difference in your own community. Doing 'green' things will not hurt the environment, so why not try it? Her lecture really inspired me. Her personal stories and experience made me see the truth in her story. As a speaker she was wonderful. I was very glad to have heard her and I am trying to make my own life too, just a little more green.
Click HERE to visit Majora Carter's Website.
She opened her speech by shouting "Majora is in Decorah!" I thought that was absolutely amazing. This helped her audience feel comfortable because they were able to laugh with her. After this Majora told a few stories about her life which transitioned perfectly into her work in making the Bronx a cleaner place for the cities inhabitants.
In order to help her explain her story, she had a slide show which consisted of pictures, diagrams, videos, and information. She emphazised how we needed to do something about this 'dirty energy economy' where we pollute the earth endlessly. She included facts about how this energy pollution has affected us. Some statistics she stated were: one of four children have asthma, there is a great obesity epidemic, and fossil feul emmissions cause learning disabilities. All of these are very detrimental to our way of life. I think that we, the people of the world, should be wanting to preserve the earth for future generations, not trying to destroy it.
After describing the effects of this pollution, Majora explained some of her solutions to this problem. The best part about her ideas were that in addition to making cities more green, they also provide jobs for people who do not have any. It starts with simply cleaning up a dump, and eventually progresses through making parks and to creating a 'Greenway'. This Greenway is in the process of being built right now in the Bronx. It will provide bike paths, trees and bushes to the people of the Bronx.
Majora Carter has recently created her own organization called the Majora Carter Group. I really encourage everyone to look at her website and see if you can help make a difference in your own community. Doing 'green' things will not hurt the environment, so why not try it? Her lecture really inspired me. Her personal stories and experience made me see the truth in her story. As a speaker she was wonderful. I was very glad to have heard her and I am trying to make my own life too, just a little more green.
Click HERE to visit Majora Carter's Website.
Thursday, February 19, 2009
PaPeR cLiPs -The Movie
The movie "Paper Clips" detailed a very touching story for me. For anyone who may not know what "Paper Clips" is about, it is the story of students from Whitwall Tennessee who start learning about the Holocaust. These students eventually decide to collect 6 million paper clips to illustrate the 6 million Jewish people who suffered and died in the Holocaust.
I thought this movie was a great representation of a way teachers can have an impact in the students' learning. Because the teachers were interested in learning about diversity and what happened to these people, the students became interested as well. As our class textbook describes, this is a constructivist approach to learning. The teachers are not simply directing the students what to learn nor are they telling the students information so they can pass a test. The teachers were learning along with the students, this was an amazing example for me. I think as a teacher I hope to be able to implement something like this into my classroom. I think that having the students involved in the learning experience helps them to receive more from education.
Should some form of assessment be used to determine if these students actually learned anything? I don't think a test is necessary for these children. Personally I think I would fight with E.L. Thorndike for insisting that assessment and measurement were necessary tools for education. Today there are so many tests students have to take, that they aren't even being taught for self improvement anymore. There are countless numbers of hoops to jump through just to pass high school or college. I do not think these tests actually help make someone a good or better person. These are not skills they will need in the real world. So in the case of the students of Whitwall, I think the best way to see if this project was successful would be to have them partake in an ethnographic study. This type of study would place them within a group of diversity. Within this group of diversity did the students who learned about prejudice act differently towards people of different cultures? I think this study would be very interesting to see the results. I hope that the students would treat everyone in that group equally.
Overall, "Paper Clips" was a great movie to show how one small group of teachers can make a difference and encourage learning. I think it is important for all teachers to try new things and new ways of keeping students interested so that they want to learn.
If you want to see the movie "Paper Clips" you can view it at http://www.snagfilms.com/
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