If All the World was Apple-Pie

Arg!

2010-03-12T22:39:00.004-07:00

I decided I'd rather blog than explode.

Interesting inaccuracies in reasoning and other such circumstances arising in the major and in practicum:

"...however, the majority of my colleagues and I believe that..." This is referring to the implication that we should trust you, not the opposition, because you are in the majority. Oddly enough, though, a majority vote has never proven anything. Truth is truth, no matter how many or how few believe it. Not to mention that the sample of teacher education instructors at BYU is not an accurate representation of educators across the nation, or across the world. Sorry, but it's not. Oh, not to mention the fact that in the case alluded to, the opposition's position was not what the majority makes it out to be. It has a very different focus.
"Such-and-such bothers me and other like me, and therefore teachers should pay attention to it." Not that there is anything inherently wrong with this. It's just that, well, frankly, the world does not revolve around one type of person. Firstly, if one is to consider your pet peeves, one should equally consider the pet peeves of every single student, and more seriously consider the more major stumbling blocks placed in the paths of the overlooked/misunderstood student. Also, perhaps the student who is bothered by every little unimportant detail perhaps would benefit by being taught not to be so perfectionistic.
"What was so-and-so thinking?" "They are old enough that they ought to know better." "You just can't do that!" et cetera. Well, let's just say that I hate the faculty room. People who are stuck in one perspective are hard for me to be around, especially since some of the people they gossip about are like me, and they give me the message that God made me the wrong way.
"We all like control; that's why we wanted to be teachers in the first place!" Excuse me! I beg to differ, if just for me. I HATE being the one who is completely in control. I'm not any more valuable than any other child of God, and my perspective is not the only one that interests me. I treat my students as my equals--because they ARE.
"She is so nice, and that's why she doesn't keep the class on its toes all the time." I'm used to being misdiagnosed, but that doesn't mean that I have to like it. I do not see myself as having issues with managing. I like the class to listen to me when they need to listen to me, but I love a fluid, free learning environment where we are not restricted to sitting at our desks and using a three-inch whisper. I don't let kids enjoy themselves or make choices because I'm nice; it is a conscious decision on my part, one that I am still getting used to not being allowed to make. In practicum, I have to go along with what is expected of me as best as I can.
Also, I'll say it right here and now, I am NOT shy. I may be quiet and listen more than I talk--especially when I have no interest in the conversation or when my would-be listeners don't understand me. But put me with a bunch of Jameses, where I can talk about my base-11 number system instead of trading notes about clothes or students, and you'll find that I can be very quick with my words. And I may be hesitant in some situations--notably being new in a classroom--but when I figure things out and understand expectations and how things work, I am master of the situation.
"We have to ___ in order to keep the kids ___." Perhaps this is giving candy to kids to get them to do their worksheet, or who knows what else. This sort of reasoning, of course, assumes that we all agree that this behavior or viewpoint is desirable. But how about those of us who as the question, "But is this what we really want in the first place? Are we helping or harming the kids?" (Oh, not to mention that some of these self-same teachers provide me with theory and ideas and research that I can very easily use against their own positions.)
Sometimes the schools can be cookie-cutter-ish. We have certain expectations, we socialize kids in, well, interesting ways. We basically have an ideal student in mind, an ideal that we try to get all the kids to fit. As this ideal is very obedient, not necessarily independently-minded or innovative, nice to the point that they often bury what they feel, and more perfectionistic than is healthy, it makes me wonder why we hold up certain children as the ideal. It doesn't help those children--it traps them in potentially problematic attitudes and beliefs--and it doesn't help the children who are left out and misunderstood. Wouldn't it be better to have the ideal of being like Christ?
"You know, when we're smart, when we know a lot more than these kids do, it can be hard to realize when student's don't know these things." Two points here. One: I truly fit the profile of a gifted student. That means that I am an independent thinker, among other things, and that I am naturally the sort of student that teachers hate to have. I don't like to comply when I see a better way, particularly when I'm being hurt. (Funny, huh? I wonder why.) So I feel funny being asked, "Mariah, are you a very smart person?" just after, in my class on special needs (which includes gifted education), we learned that most "very smart" people are not, in fact, gifted. No, I'm not "very smart;" I'm gifted. And I can be open to my students' needs, perhaps better than some, and part of it is my gifted-ness, being able to look at other perspectives easily. Two: It's rather rude to sprain someone's ankle, and then get after her for not being able to walk properly. The situations in which I find myself during practicum cripple me, and that is the reason why I may not always respond as well as they may want--but that's not to say that I am unaware of it. I am very much aware of it, and hating it.
Then there's the idea about deciding what makes a good learning environment or a good teacher. The process is roughly as follows: First, several good examples are chosen (the definition of "good" may or may not be something that everyone agrees with). Then, they are analyzed to see what they all have in common. These characteristics are then proclaimed as "The Characteristics of a Good Learning Environment" (or, in the case of a teacher) "of a Good Teacher." Naturally, then, in order to make a good learning environment or a good teacher, one simply needs to apply each of these characteristics, right? * sigh * Come on, already! That's like writing down the key characteristics of a ladybug (beetle, red outer wings with black spots, roundish shape, etc.), and then deciding that in order to make a ladybug, we only need to make something with each of these characteristics. Easy if we remember exactly what a ladybug is, isn't it, but what if we've never seen one before and were relying on what someone told us? or what if our list was incomplete? There would be holes, things that are left out that are perhaps more important to the ladybug than what we notice. For instance, would our ladybug be able to breathe properly?

More variety, please!

2010-02-22T23:17:00.001-07:00

I can't help but think that the education profession (particularly at the elementary level) would benefit from a wider variety in teacher personalities, dispositions, learning styles, teaching beliefs, and interests.

I mean, to a large extent, elementary school teachers have the same sort of ideas and personality types... and those of use who don't fit the mold are (particularly at the training stage--I hear it gets better later) forced into it.

How are we supposed to teach our students to be independent thinkers if we aren't allowed to ourselves? How can we address every student's needs fully if we only understand students' needs from our one perspective (which is outside, looking in, rather than fully valuing the child's perceptions)?

brief commentary

2010-02-22T05:39:00.000-07:00

It annoys me when we are slaves to our tools.

Taming the Natural Man

2010-02-21T11:26:00.000-07:00

There is something interesting about the way we talk about education during these strange and turbulent times. It is an interesting approach, and not a bad one, but it sadly falls far short of the great potential we have as teachers.

We spend a lot of time in several different classes learning about human nature, how to use students' natural tendencies to our benefit, and how to get them to behave themselves. In short, we accept that people are just the way they are without trying to help them improve their characters, just so long as they behave themselves fairly decently. We accept human frailties as a fact of life--and not a fact of life to strive against, to try to improve. No, just something that is, that we can't change.

It is one thing to make the natural man behave himself. It is quite another to help the natural man change and grow closer to God, in essence, help him break from the mold of the Natural Man and accept his divine nature.

This reminds me of a quote by Ezra Taft Benson, on p. 64 of A Witness and a Warning:

"The Lord works from the inside out. The world works from the outside in. The world would take people out of the slums. Christ takes the slums out of the people, and then they take themselves out of the slums. The world would mold men by changing their environment. Christ changes men, who then change their environment. The world would shape human behavior, but Christ can change human nature."

I love that quote, because it really puts my role as a teacher into perspective. I am not here to manipulate behavior. I am here to be an instrument in the hands of God, to work with Him as He changes human nature, changes the human heart and soul, so that we each become more divine, truer to our identity as children of the living God.

NT Application Paper

2010-02-18T16:25:00.002-07:00

This is the part of the paper, the disclaimers, that I didn't turn in. It was more for me, I guess...

Let me start out with my disclaimers. First of all, I hate assignments like this one. Yes, I just said what you thought I just said. I see their value—yet this sort of assignment also seems like a sort of a crutch. That is, if one is not regularly applying scripture to one’s life, an assignment of this sort can help one build new, strong habits. Yet, what happens when you make someone who is whole use a crutch? It does not help him, but causes him to stumble, and walking becomes tedious. That is what application-type papers are like to me. I am accustomed to pondering and applying doctrines of the gospel into my life, and my applications are usually little things that build up and make a difference over time. It is completely foreign to me to, for the set time of a week, choose a scripture to apply. In spirit, it is the same thing that I do, but in practice, it is an unnatural one for me.

Secondly, I did not have enough to give in order to follow the instructions “correctly” on this assignment. My brother, who was diagnosed with cancer last February, died in October, I have a new baby sister, and I am a completely different person now than I was before. These have been the biggest life-changing events I have ever experienced. My life is still changing rapidly, and this sort of assignment is utterly ridiculous at a time like this. I just do not have the energy to jump through hoops that do not give me the advantages that they are designed for. And I know full well that, no matter what my teachers expect from me, God accepts the offering of my heart and soul and does not expect me to “run faster than I have strength” (see Mosiah 4:27).

With that said, you may wonder why I did not come and talk to you of these things. There are two reasons for that. One, I literally could not—I am not currently able to do as much as I usually can. I am better at writing than approaching people at the best of times. And two, I just don’t care anymore. I know where I stand with God, I know who I am, I know where I am going, and I know what I need to do to get there. I started the semester already at my breaking point, and I have reached a point where I am literally doing all I can. It, therefore, seems pointless to add to my emotional load by bothering about this assignment more than I need to.

Another Rant

2010-02-09T21:13:00.000-07:00

When people write/teach about how to teach (college classes, articles in education journals, textbooks), they often make assumptions about the attitudes and methods their audience uses/would use. Their information is then built around these assumptions.

It is really frustrating and ridiculously difficult to find important information in a textbook or class or article if it has sound principles but is all explained around what you "should" and "should not" do in the classroom.

I prefer resources that enable me to see where I fit in with all of this, where I might use this information. If the focus is on principles, and individuals are then able to apply principles to their individual situations, it would be much more helpful. Particularly if that individual has been taught in a manner that allowed them to develop the sorts of skills necessary to do so.

Where am I in this?

2010-02-04T22:51:00.003-07:00

Now, my existence has recently been plagued by conflicting demands and rather muddled theories and techniques, attached to the wrong focus, and I've decided I have had enough.

I'm tired of building my educational philosophy, beliefs, and ideals on someone else's terms, of building on my weaknesses rather than on my strengths.

One thing that has been getting on my nerves is that we are continually taught two ends of a spectrum, one end teacher-centered and the other end student-centered. Now, I am no fan of spectra. (Or a pendulum, which is its other disguise.) The spectrum is just confusing when it compares things over all and not on just one characteristic. It just does not make sense to me. So I decided to ditch the spectrum. As my struggles with it are mainly geometrical, I'll switch methods and solve my problem geographically.

Here is an idea that came to me tonight:

The islands on the right and on the left represent the traditional ends of the spectrum. On the left we find behaviorism, which is very external and can be rather superficial. We also find the belief that a child is an empty vessel and the teacher must pour knowledge into the poor thing. Manipulation is key. This tends to work in the here-and-now. On the right we find a misdefined sense of agency, where agency supposedly cannot exist with outside restrictions, and children make their own world. (Sorry Uncle Alfie!) This works long-term but may be chaotic meanwhile.

Both options work. That is not what we are contending. But both miss out on the edification that can come through a mutually-enriching environment, built by students and teacher. This third option is where both students and teachers can reach their full potential as divine beings, children of Deity.

Now, some would try to put this on that spectrum we were talking about, but if it is addressing an element that both extremes lack, how in the world does it make sense for it to be in the middle? Although it is in the middle on some issues such as amount of teacher control, there are so many other characteristics that would be lacking if we were to rely overmuch on the spectrum.

So if you like the spectrum, think of it that way. As for me and my classroom, we'll just be another island off somewhere else in the ocean where we can have a little peace and quiet for a change!

Sure, we share some characteristics with both islands. Duh. We're in the same ocean.

Internet Safety Reflection

2009-12-09T19:13:00.009-07:00

1. I read a Q&A from the New Era: Questions and Answers. It deals directly with books, but it also applies to other forms of media.

2. I watched videos about chat rooms, meeting people you only know online, cyberbullying, keeping communication open about the internet with your children, and giving out too much personal information. Some of them used scare tactics, which I really didn't appreciate, but others focused on the positives of technology as well.

3. Those who are most at risk are people who feel like they can't talk to the real people in their lives, or who become more involved in their virtual lives than they are in real life. It is vital to follow the promptings of the Spirit, as that will provide much-needed guidance. As an adult, and as a teacher, it is important to evaluate carefully the information that you post about yourself, as well as guiding children and teens as they make those same decisions. Open communication is key here.

4. I talked with my brother, Nathaniel, who is in high school. We talked about how the family is targeted by the media. Nathaniel saw this, and he agreed that this was the case. We also talked about the way that people get hurt meeting someone who they only knew online, and how we need to be very careful in those sorts of situations. Probably, most of the time, there is no need to meet people in person, and it should be a matter of prayer to decide if that is a good thing to do. I told Nathaniel how I had noticed that in a lot of the stories of people who were hurt in these sorts of situations, the interactions with the preditor online were leaning in immoral or inappropriate directions. This ties in with the whole idea of the media attacking the family--when people allow their media use to go in that direction, it can get to be dangerous. What surprised me most about our conversation was how clearly Nathaniel already saw these things, and how he was sincerely concerned about the family. Knowing him, he will ponder about our conversation, and he will make sure that his own internet use is morally safe.

* I completed the University Course Evaluation on Route Y.
* I completed the Course Feedback Survey.
* I checked my grades on Moodle.

~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~
Notes to Self:

"1. Does the use of various technologies and media invite or impede the constant companionship of the Holy Ghost
in your life?
2. Does the time you spend using various technologies and media enlarge or restrict your capacity to live, to love, and to serve in
meaningful ways?"
-Elder Bednar, Things as They Really Are

"And whoso treasureth up my word, shall not be deceived..." JS-Matthew 1:37

http://www.providentliving.org/content/display/0,11666,5302-1-2769-1,00.html

WebWiseKids

In Which we see the results of a mathematical mind being overwhelmed by physcology textbooks.

2009-12-03T21:11:00.009-07:00

I had an argument with the textbook--and it was so exhausting that I thought I would be perfectly compliant in my post.

1. Something interesting:

in Module 3, it was interesting to read about gender identity. I know that in my own family, we have never been overly socialized into certain gender roles. I grew up in a family of six kids--three boys and three girls. Us girls would wrestle just as often as the boys would, and, with some exceptions, we all did similar chores. Laundry in our family was never just a girl thing. Mowing the lawn was done more often by Dad and the boys--out of courtesy more than anything else, and also because of allergies some of us have (like my mom and I). My brother Jordan and I always used to have joint responsibility in babysitting the younger ones--but I did most of the babysitting, because of the way that Jordan was and the way I was.

I would say I'm pretty androgynous-ish. As Krysta puts it, I'm half tomboy and half girly-girl. I wouldn't say it quite like that--especially the "girly-girl" part; I can't see that particular term applying to me, but I certainly am a woman. (Although the tomboy part of me tends to go crazy being constantly surrounded by mostly girls. AAH!!! I miss my brothers, since they're in Michigan, so it's nice to play with boy cousins, especially my cousin Andrew, who loves to wrestle with me. That's the best!)

As kids, we sometimes played more girls-together and boys-together, but a lot of our games (or at least the ones I remember best) involved girls and boys. Our brothers played house and Barbies with us, and we were just as likely to be playing with more "boyish" toys as they were. Actually, it was more likely that we would have all six of us playing Legos or with matchbox cars than with the more feminine games.

Unless we were playing with Nanny. Nanny's a Ken doll whose head has a bad habit of falling off. (He wasn't ever Nanny until that happened.) That sort of playing with Barbies involves everyone.

I also thought a lot about Isaac, my 13-year-old brother. He is a rather "feminine" little boy--and he is little. It's hard to picture him as a middle-school student. Charlotte, who is 10, is only about an inch shorter than he is--because she's big for her age and he's small for his.

Isaac tends to make friends with girls, he is kind and loving (and cuddly, with family), and he does gymnastics. Which means he is incredibly strong. Mom sometimes worries about him, because he doesn't fit in with what boys are expected to be, and Mom and Dad are always trying to get him more into scouting (which he would probably prefer not to do). Like the rest of us, Isaac is very artistic and creative, and he has always loved animals and organizing things. Even though he is very active, he's not into competition very much.

2. I took the survey.

I won NaNoWriMo!

2009-12-01T08:46:00.003-07:00

NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month) takes place every November, and the goal, as my cool little web badge says, is to write a 50,000 word novel in the 30 days of November. 50,000 words has never seemed so little!

Did I mention that I wrote the last half during the last week of the month? And somehow I even finished before bedtime! Yes! (Not that I got to bed on time, anyway, but that's another story...)

75 words

Typing Test

Motivation stuff...

2009-11-23T19:35:00.005-07:00

1. Do you think the students in your cohort classroom are more intrinsically motivated or extrinsically motivated? Why?

There were varying levels of intrinsic motivation in my classroom, but the classroom environment seemed to promote intrinsic motivation. It was a very free-flowing classroom, where students got to make choices and had a lot of control. Students were willing to do their work and participate, and they were often very excited when they learned something new.

2. How are intrinsic and extrinsic motivation affected by rewards and praise?

Intrinsic motivation can be either helped or harmed by rewards and praise, depending on if the rewards and praise build self-efficacy and independence or if they build dependence on the teacher. Extrinsic motivation can certainly be promoted by rewards and praise, but not necessarily, again if they are rewards and praise that help students gain control over their own learning.

3. Why do expectancies and values influence student motivation?

Simply put, what we believe affects what we do. If students believe that something is important (values) and that they are capable of completing a task (expectancies), they are naturally going to try harder. If the students feel that a task has low value and has low expectancies, they won't try ask hard. After all, they could be setting themselves up for failure, or wasting their time on something that isn't important.

4. Describe some examples of student-level and classroom-level strategies for increasing motivation that you saw in the classroom?

Student-level: students being given choices/control; stickers
Classroom-level: cooperative-learning instead of ability grouping when it came time for centers; a focus on group work and relationships within the classroom environment.

5. Of the behavioral, cognitive, and self-worth motivation theories, with which theory do you most agree, and why?

Just for the record, I hate being required to choose a certain theory that most closely represents my own beliefs, when I would much rather just take each for what it's worth, take tidbits of truth from each, mix them together, and work with my own personal theory. It's much easier for me.
With that said, I'll stop arguing with the textbook for awhile, ignore the fact that I'm a very independent thinker (at least momentarily), and try to come up with a suitable answer. Even though it probably won't be a very good representation of what I really believe. Oh well. I'll at least give it my best shot.
For the purposes of this assignment, I'm gonna go with self-determination theory (partially just to counter the other two people I've seen who have both said self-worth). I like the emphasis this theory has on the learner becoming autonomous, or being a self-regulated, independent learner. It seems that this is the sort of learner in life itself that God would like us to be, and that is the sort of learning environment that I would like to have in my own classroom.
I must say, though, that with these theories' focus on the roll of the student, I like other sorts of ways of looking at things that address both the teacher's roll and the student's roll more equally. But then again, I said I wasn't going to argue with the textbook. The End.

In Memory of Jordan

2009-11-19T22:16:00.001-07:00

For those who are interested, here are links to my other blog, posts about my recently-departed brother:

Hands

Angel Brother

Videos

2009-11-18T15:08:00.000-07:00

I watched the videos, Bookends of War and Inside Kapunahala.

OIC

2009-11-12T20:05:00.004-07:00

YYUR,
YYUB.
ICUR
YY4ME!

~Some Poet who is Unknown by Mariah but Who May Not Actually be Anonymous

Technology Videos for Week 10

2009-11-11T21:25:00.000-07:00

It was interesting to see the very simple ways that technology was used in these examples. The children used websites, cameras, CDs, and drawing software. These aren’t overly big, intrusive activities they’re doing here. It didn’t take the teachers a ridiculous amount of time to prepare. And it was really exciting for the kids!

I loved the approach to the I Love Spiders project. Kids were given the chance to explore on their own and make meaning from their world. They weren’t just given information--they actually found their own spiders, and shared information with another class from another part of the country! That was an awesome activity for them to be able to share, and I’m sure that it helped bring the concepts they were studying to life.

It was also neat to see how easily the children were picking up the technology they were taught. They learned, and they explored, and they helped each other.

Alone

2009-11-10T22:35:00.001-07:00

There were two birds sat on a stone,
Fa, la, la, la, lal, de;
One flew away, and then there was one,
Fa, la, la, la, lal, de;
The other flew after, and then there was none,
Fa, la, la, la, lal, de;
And so the poor stone was left all alone,
Fa, la, la, la, lal, de!
Favorite Rhymes of Mother Goose, 1923

Here am I, little jumping Joan.
When nobody's with me, I'm always alone.
Favorite Rhymes of Mother Goose, 1923

Week 9: Technology in the classroom!

2009-11-05T15:09:00.002-07:00

It has been great working with our second graders! In our school, there is a lot of technology available, but our classroom itself does not have very much. We have a computer area right outside the classroom that we share with the other first and second grade classes, and my class uses them regularly. There is also a computer lab, where I got to go with my class yesterday. There is a teacher in charge of the lab who helps the students and teaches and guides them with the technology they are using. There is also a lot of equipment that we can check out to use in our classrooms, such as smart boards.

I completed the midcourse evaluation and informed consent form.

For Week 8

2009-11-05T14:30:00.004-07:00

I watched and commented on the following VoiceThread projects: Daren's, Lauryn's, and Janae's.

It was really exciting to see how many different projects people came up with! Even when they used the same programs/materials, there are so many different options! It's great.

One of my favorite aspects of using technology in science projects is that it broadens your horizons so much. Instead of watching the moon each night, you can speed time up with Stellarium. Instead of using litmus paper to determine if solutions are basic or acidic, you can use a probe to see how basic or how acidic. Instead of looking at charts of constellations, you can see constellations drawn on the 3D sky in Stellarium. And there's so much more you can do!

For Week 7

2009-11-05T13:37:00.003-07:00

3rd Grade Standard 1 Objective 2 states: describe the movement of Earth and the moon and the apparent movement of other bodies through the sky.

This project is with Kellie Cash. Using Stellarium, we will be tracking the movement of the moon around the earth over the period of 24 hours. This is part of a guided learning lesson, where we would first demonstrate the movement of the moon relative to the earth, and then they would discover it for themselves in groups, and then they would create a model or drawing of the movement.

TPACK:
1. Content: Standard 1 Objective 2--tracking the movement of the moon relative to the earth

2. Pedagogy: We're using a guided learning lesson, starting out with group work and then moving onto individual work. Guided learning will work well in this case because it allows the children to actually experience the movement of the moon themselves, so it is less abstract. This approach should also provide scaffolding that will allow the children to be successful in mastering a difficult concept.

3. Technology: We're using Stellarium. This is a good fit with the pedagogy because it allows for student exploration and discovery--which is what guided learning is all about. It is a good fit for the content because it speeds up time to make the movement of the moon so much easier for students to see and understand than by actually trying to watch the moon.

For Week 6

2009-11-05T12:38:00.002-07:00

I did the virtual tours for Daren Parker, Leah Barker, and Kellie Cash.

The upsides and downsides of using a virtual tour: Virtual tours are a great way for kids to familiarize themselves with the world in a 3-d way, rather than just looking at pictures. It can help them conceptualize the earth itself and see how everything fits together. However, using a tour can be difficult for children who have not had much exposure to technology. It is also difficult for the lower grades, as they are still learning to use the program and to read the instructions and information. Although you could still present a tour to the entire class at once, that's not nearly the same hands-on experience as actually doing the tour yourself.

Week 7 discussion--Mariah and Krysta

2009-10-16T06:29:00.002-06:00

1. What types of cooperative learning activities have you experienced at both an elementary and college level?

- Krysta remembers activities that involved groupwork, where they would get extra points for going the extra mile, and where they were encouraged to share resourses and work together. Neither of us could really remember much along the lines of cooperative learning activities in elementary school. In high school, I remember some activities for my AP US History class, where we were arranged in tables, and we would complete unit projects at our table. At the end of the project, we would fill out evaluation sheets for each group member, stating how much that person contributed to the group.

2. In your opinion, do you feel that cooperative learning promotes learning? Why or why not?

- Yes; it allows us to build intrinsic motivation and good peer-to-peer relations. It helps the students work towards a common goal and for everyone on the team to learn through discovery and groupwork.

3. What are the similarities and differences between Reciprocal Questioning and Instructional Conversations?

- Similarities: Teacher-initiated; both provide structure and scaffolding to discussions; student input and point of view is valued; independent thinking is valued.
- Differences: Instructional conversations (IC): start with topics; reciprocal questioning: questions throughout. IC is more discussion-based and teacher-led; rec. quest. uses question stems to help students discuss amongst themselves.

4. What are some examples of when you would want to use ability grouping? When would mixed-grouping be more appropriate?

- ability grouping: for some math and science and reading lessons--to enable the teacher to meet the needs of all students. Whenever students need differentiated instruction in order to continue progressing. This is a good technique to use whenever the subject being studied is hierarchica--builds on what you've learned before. It also is good for when you're working with children at different developmental staged, as in reading and writing.
- mixed-grouping: to help disabled kids learn by working with peers. Whenever you want to develop interpersonal skills. Good for discussions and projects related to subjects studied as an entire class.

Mariah & Krysta- EdPsych Assessment 6- Behaviorism

2009-10-08T21:34:00.004-06:00

1. List an example of contiguity learning from your own experience both in and outside of school.

Similar experiences of both Mariah and Krysta:
In school- Every time we see a Y, we associate it with BYU.
Out of school- When we face the mountains we know we are going East.

2. Describe some effective reinforcements you remember as an elementary school child.
Mariah-If you did all your work and fulfilled a requirement, you get to go to movie night.
Krysta-If the whole class read a certain of books, we got to have a class ice cream party.

3. Describe how you could use reinforcement schedules in the classroom.
-Ratio: A teacher responds to every students' journal, every three journal entries.
-Interval: One Friday a month is free homework day, for students who meet a certain goal, such as turning in homework assignments on time.

4. Identify potential contradictions between Behaviorism and the Gospel perspective of agency.
Behaviorism does consider some rewards are punishments for some, and that for others it is not. Nonetheless, Behaviorism does not take into account choices that people make, and a way that other people respond to situations. Thus, Behaviorism does not account for emotional motives and beliefs. In other words, Behaviorism ignores personal background, intrinsic motivation, and different levels of self control. For example, one chooses between right and wrong to remain faithful to their covenants and standards, which in turn will give them long-term blessings. Some blessings may not be immediate (no immediate rewards). Behaviorism, on the other hand, is based on getting rewards upon immediate good behavior.

*Krysta is the scribe of this post.
**These answers are based on both, Mariah and Krysta's, discussion about the questions.

Avast, me hearties! Arg!

2009-10-07T19:54:00.009-06:00

So maybe I'm just a little obsessed with pirates. (All right; I'll let you in on a secret: I'm not really obsessed with them. But it's fun to pretend. And yes, I do have a sword under my bed--made of sticks, paper, and masking tape... it's with my Christmas tree and wrapping paper.)

We are going to have a treasure hunt. (I have yet to decide if it will be with or without pirates. It could be some more innocent adventurer looking for treasure, instead. That could be exciting.)

4th grade social studies

Standard 1: Students will understand the relationship between the physical geography in Utah and human life.

Objective 1: Classify major physical geographic attributes of Utah.

a: Identify Utah's latitude, longitude, hemisphere, climate, natural resources, landforms, and regions using a variety of geographic tools.

So, of course, the first location is Utah.

I chose to do a virtual tour on this topic, firstly, because I was blanking out when Kellie was helping me brainstorm and this was the idea that finally took root in my mind, and secondly (and more relevantly), because using Google Earth to learn latitude and longitude will help these topics become much easier for children to learn. The three-dimensionality will certainly help, as will the chance to actually move around the earth and zoom in and out and look at different coordinates.

I would prefer to use Google Earth to teach latitude and longitude than a map because maps are so flat, and the world isn't, so Google Earth would give the children a more accurate idea of what coordinates really mean. Also, Google Earth will be nice to use, rather than a globe, because coordinates are easily found in Google Earth, and it's not so tedious trying to figure things out, so hopefully children will get a fuller understanding of the concept.

Location	Activity Description	Google Earth Content
1. Utah (zoomed out to show entire state)	[Borders; Terrain; Places of Interest: geographic features; gallery: 360 cities, National Geographic, YouTube; 3D buildings; geographic web] Here I will give a description of the activity--a treasure hunt, and at each stop coordinates will be given (ex: Latitude:__; Longitude:__). The coordinates are a more specific place within the area the students zoomed to. At the coordinates, there will be the Google Earth Content. The content will give the students interesting information about the location. After viewing the content, students will go on to the next location. First clue: Find (give coordinates for BYU-ish).	3D buildings on BYU campus
2. Greece	Second clue: Find Athens, Greece (coordinates)	360 cities--various to be explored throughout the city.
3. Australia (zoomed in on NSW of the continent)	Third clue: Find Sydney (give coordinates)	Explore Wikipedia content and pictures (panoramio, etc)
Galapagos Islands	Last clue: Find (coordinates on one of the the islands--location of the "treasure")	Treasure=cool YouTube video with neat wildlife!

Week 5: Cognition

2009-10-01T23:13:00.004-06:00

1. Describe the two most helpful instructional strategies explained in Module 11 and how you see them as being useful to you in your teaching.

Use attention signals: This helps children know when important information is being processed. And it helps those of us who are very easily distracted.
Plan for attention: Know the children's attention limits, and teach according to that. After all, they're going to school for themselves, not for the teacher, so it makes sense that school would work for them.

2. Define and give two examples of low-road transfer and high-road transfer not used in the textbook.

Low-road: automatic transfer of skills you use a lot. Key word: automaticity. Ex: writing an email; using social greetings when you run into a friend ("how are you?").
High-road: transfer of skills learned in one context into another context. Key phrase: mindful abstraction. Ex: using what you know about the hibernation of snails to understand hibernating insects that appear to be dead on a cold day; applying your knowledge of fractions to figuring out what fraction of a day you have left to finish your IP&T 301 homework.

3. Explain what kind of transfer, if any, you see most often used in public education and how it is used (either from observation or from personal experience).

Backward-reaching transfer--we are often required to look back on what we have learned previously, to apply this knowledge to what we are learning now. This is particularly the case in subjects such as math, where knowledge continually builds on itself.

4. In what situations have you used an algorithm to solve a problem? When have you used a heuristic?

algorithm: in this week, to add and subtract fractions after first finding a common denominator.
heuristic: using what my mom always told me when shopping: when a price ends in $.99, round up to the nearest dollar, so you have a better idea of what you're really paying.

Reflections on Digital Storytelling

2009-09-30T19:35:00.006-06:00

I watched the following videos:

(And also Janae's book preview: The Giver, but that's number 7...)

(I actually watched a lot more, but I'm not very talkative, so I didn't comment on any of the others. But that's irrelevant.)

I think that one of the big challenges in doing a movie project like this in the classroom would be figuring out how to get that many kids working on computers, especially if I'm working at a school with limited computers available. Also, it's kind of intimidating just thinking about having so many student projects going on at once with kids with all sorts of different levels of technological literacy. Some kids may always be needing help, and I wouldn't want to overwhelm them--or myself by running around and helping everyone! (That is, overwhelm students with technology that is more difficult for them than I think it is, or overwhelm myself by the running around...)

Besides that, it would be a good skill for kids to have, not to mention just plain being fun! It would be a good activity to help motivate students who don't like to write.

Sylvester meets Little Red Riding Hood!

2009-09-25T12:48:00.001-06:00

2009-09-25T12:47:00.002-06:00

Also see Wex's video from last year. Starring my rock! (Kind of...)

Week 4--Intelligence

2009-09-24T20:54:00.002-06:00

Mariah and Krysta

1. If we wanted to promote emotional intelligence within our classrooms, we would teach cause and effect relationships through discussions about stories, analysis of appropriate reactions through writing, discussions of the feelings and emotions of people different from themselves, and discussing the emotions of losing a loved one.

2. Krysta and I love Gardner! Gardner's theory is more all-encompassing, and it breaks intelligence down more clearly. As teachers, we want to focus on the child as a whole, which would include all of Gardner's categories, and not just more academic or practical or creative skills.

3. It is very one-sided, and overemphasizes the importance of academic performance and logical intelligence, to the possible neglect of other important components of a student's being.

Mariah's TPACK Post

2009-09-23T19:42:00.002-06:00

TPACK represents three types of knowledge a teacher can have. TK is technological knowledge and is needed to use technology in the classroom. PK is pedagogical knowledge, which is required to teach effectively. CK is content knowledge, or knowledge of the content that is being taught. Naturally, good teaching cannot take place without PK and CK. In today's world, TK is also necessary because of the dominance technology has in our culture. A good teacher needs to have and use TPACK in order to teach effectively, teach correct information, and teach children technological skills that they will need in the future.

Storyboard... and Techonological Rebellion

2009-09-23T16:24:00.005-06:00

My dad and I decided to take a break from the war we've been waging against my villainous scanner. The war has been long and hard (since Monday), with many battles (commandeered installations, my mouse temporarily joining enemy ranks, corrupt or MIA driver,...). And now we have reached a ceasefire, until Friday, when I will have time to run a more extensive campaign against the scanner.

Hrm... so... here's my storyboard... scanned on campus...

(fractured fairy tale)

In-Class Teaching Reflection

2009-09-18T07:25:00.001-06:00

I really enjoyed working on this lesson with Daren. He had some great ideas, and he was really funny! (Not to mention how patient he was when I had to get up four or five times while we were working in the library and walk around before I could concentrate.) Things just fell together really well.

We tried to use a variety of teaching methods during our lesson, so that the class would be engaged and have different ways to learn the material. It was fun to find ways for there to be participation during our lesson. Using a variety of methods, including our little grading skit, helped us keep the students’ attention and help them understand.

We wanted interaction with the students, because that would help us see when we were being effective and when we weren’t, so we asked questions and had discussions. One thing that we did was to hand out questions for students to discuss in groups, for them to find unfairness in. This not only gave them a chance to discover unfairness by themselves, but their comments also allowed us to see that they understood the concept and that they were able to detect unfairness in the questions.

It is important for students to be able to make connections between concepts, so as we thought about our organizer, we wanted to find a way to show connections between the concepts. The way it turned out, the pictures we used also visually reinforced the message. I believe it was Daren who thought of having pillars holding good assessment up. Daren thought of using a spider for the types of assessment bias, and I thought of writing on the spider’s legs, and, well, it worked. The spider had “Assessment Bias” in the body and the types on the legs, showing the relationship between the terms.

Strengths in our lesson included the interaction that was possible with the way we planned the lesson. Also, it is probably a rather memorable lesson, particularly the organizer and our little skits and such. However, there may have been a better way for us to introduce the definitions of words to make it easier for our classmates to take notes before we went on to the next slide. Also, it seemed that one of our discussions, on practicality, fell kind of flat, and it was not as involved as I would have wished. It would have been nice for Daren and me to have split up the talking a little more evenly, too.

Something I would do differently would be to construct questions about practicality before going through that discussion. I would also try to split up the talking better by perhaps alternating who was discussing the definitions, instead of Daren doing a set and then me doing a set of definitions.

Next time, I could improve by trying to be more talkative during the lesson (kind of counterintuitive for me in a team-teaching situation), so that Daren would not be talking so much more than me.

Well, with all that said, I am very happy with the way things turned out. Daren, you were a pleasure to work with, and I hope that I was not too frustrating.

Oh, dear! Ma Westworthy here!

2009-09-16T20:42:00.001-06:00

A wave of homesickness for my drama class just swept over me. Sorry for all those who will be confused by this, but I suddenly felt like Ma Westworthy, preparing to traverse the Oregon Trail!

I'm done.

The Time Has Come

2009-09-16T18:54:00.004-06:00

...the walrus said, to talk about this week's assignments!

Oh, the most useful thing I've learned.

The most useful thing I've learned was probably the bits of coding, particularly embedding things. Before this, I could embed a YouTube video on my blog, but that was about it. Now it shouldn't be hard to embed almost anything, anywhere, because I know how to do it manually! (Well, not quite anything, and not quite anywhere, but I can embed a lot of things in a website or blog post. So close enough.)

Embedding just made my life so much easier, because I could actually have something on my website, if I chose, instead of having more links than I really needed. Not to mention that it looks a lot nicer and more professional that way!

I also enjoyed poking around all those exciting education sites, and I want to explore more of them when I have time (?). :)

Webcam Fun!

2009-09-15T21:28:00.006-06:00

Don't believe Kellie; we had nice roommate bonding time! ;)

Kellie had checked out a webcam, so we were planning on just using her computer and taking turns with the camera. But then her computer decided to boycott the internet. So scratch that.

We then had fun installing everything on my computer. Luckily, my computer, Mariángel, decided that she would just go slow, instead of refusing to connect to the internet, like Kellie's computer did.

We had the webcam working on my computer. Then we had to find someone else with a webcam.

Kellie called her family. And friends. And everyone she could think of with a webcam.

While all those people were busy not answering their phones, I called my uncle Bruce, who told me to call my uncle Jerry, who told me to call my uncle Bruce.

Then we realized that we hadn't asked our roommate Meagan if she had a webcam or not. She does. She was watching a movie with friends, so she said that after she was done, she would gladly chat with us for two seconds so we could get a picture of us talking to her from just across the hall.

Meanwhile, back at the ranch, one of Kellie's friends finally called us back and kindly consented to talk to us (even though she didn't even know me). Here's Kellie and me chatting with her friend:

So much for the synchronous chat.

Since I'm not on Facebook, Kellie was very kind and let me borrow her account to send an asynchronous video message. So here is Mariah using Facebook! (Kind of. I've "used" my brother's account more than I've used Kellie's.)

And there's Kellie's arm. (Sh!)

Week 2 Assessment--... . . .

2009-09-11T06:20:00.002-06:00

1. What is Bloom's Taxonomy and what are the six areas that comprise it?

Bloom's Taxonomy is a categorization of six learning objectives. These specify six ways students can demonstrate their knowledge. They are:

Remember: Students recall or recognize information they have learned before. They do not necessarily understand the information nor do they necessarily use it.
Understand: Students make sense of information but may not make new connections.
Apply: Students use information to solve a problem or complete a task with a minimum of direction.
Analyze: Students break something down into its parts.
Evaluate: Students judge the value of information, materials, or methods in a particular situation.
Create: Students combine different ideas into something new, a product, plan, or proposal. This is not just using someone else's ideas, or repeating information.

2. What is the difference between validity and reliability? Why are these characteristics of high quality tests?

Daren and I know this one a little too well (just kidding ;) ). Validity is the degree to which a test measures what it is intended to measure. Reliability is the degree to which test results are consistent. That is, if a test is valid, it accurately measures the students' learning and reflects what has been learned in class. On the other hand, a test is reliable if the results don't vary in different situations, such as different days of the week. A test can be reliable without being valid (if it consistently measures that you know less of the material than you really do), but it cannot be valid without also being reliable (if a test is valid and gives accurate results, these results aren't going to change. That would just be silly!).

3. Give an example of a product performance assessment and a process performance assessment.

A product performance assessment (summative): A band director listens Katrina (my sister) and Bobby on their clarinets to decide who will be first chair clarinet and who will be second chair.

A process performance assessment (formative): A band director listens to all the clarinets play and gives suggestions on how they can improve.

4. Describe three different ways to evaluate performance assessments.

Presentations: Students present to the teacher or class what they have learned.

Projects: Students use the knowledge of what they have been studying to create a product of some kind.

Portfolios: Teachers collect evidence of what students have learned.

5. Why would an elementary school teacher need to be concerned with assessment bias?

Assessment bias is counter-productive, as it takes away from the reason we assess. A teacher should assess in order to learn what students do and don't know, if they have learned what the teacher wanted them to learn, what it is they are struggling with, and to provide a record of student achievement. When teachers allow themselves to show bias in their assessments, they are destroying the information they have gathered that should have given them a focus in their teaching. If grading is not accurate, students who need help are less likely to receive it in the needed area, and students who don't need help are more likely to have to sit through added instruction and practice that they don't need.

"Did you know that spiders eat their own webs?"

2009-09-06T11:14:00.005-06:00

The difference between Mariah and Wex:

1) When Wex sees something cute, she does that "girl just saw something cute" thing... you know, "Aw! It's so cute!"

When Mariah sees something cute, she gets the biggest grin on her face and usually doesn't say anything.

2) When Wex is packing up to move out, she cleans as she goes, and is very orderly (even though she's not usually very organized).

When Mariah is packing up to move out (or when she's moving in), she pretty much dumps everything on the floor and then decides where everything goes--she has to see everything in order to make decisions like that.

Love ya, Xin! Hope that third grade is treating you well!

My Technology Background Really Cool Post Thingy

2009-09-03T17:43:00.003-06:00

My dad's a computer engineer, so we always have lots of technology hanging around. And it's really nice, when I don't know how to do something, because he can always help me. I have since adopted blogging, really complicated formatting in Word, Excel, and all sorts of other fun stuff (including a couple of websites). I usually don't have much trouble figuring new technology out.

I also like to create art on the computer, whether in Paint or in a photo shop sort of program (I use The Gimp).

And I have a confession (one which, I admit, I'm not at all hesitant to make): I'm not on Facebook. Although both of my grandfathers are. Now, how many college students can say that? ;)

Feel free to poke through my links (which I am majorly reorganizing right now) to see what else I've been up to. Here are a few of them:

Writing.Com/authors/mariahbforre (Mariah B. Forre is my pen name)

mariahbforre.weebly.com

Project Nursery Rhymes

My "real" blog:

Airpaints (my online writing journal)

Writing Prompt: Sock Puppet Autobiography

2009-05-21T14:23:00.000-06:00

If the kids have made their own sock puppets, to help them develop the character (and to help them with their writing), encourage them to write their sock puppet's autobiography--told by the puppet, of course!

Focus

2009-05-12T19:45:00.001-06:00

Focus of paintings: several paintings, have the students find what stands out the most. Then have them notice other details, things they don't think as much about.
People often focus on the negative in themselves--physical, emotional, whatever. But what is it that people notice first about them? Are they concerned about the things that really matter? Are they distorting their flaws, or even seeing their strengths or unique points as being flaws? etc.

Category: Crayon Colors

2009-05-06T21:42:00.003-06:00

For any category game, crayon colors are a good choice, allowing the players to make up their own crayon colors (or paint colors)--because this allows the players to alternate remembering information with creating something new.

This would also lead in well to talking about word choice. It's good to have a variety, but within reason--without letting it get ridiculous, and without trying to force periwinkle into your picture where plain blue would fit better.

Family: Our Nation's Greatest Resource

2009-04-12T13:06:00.006-06:00

Visiting Teaching Message March 2009: Uphold, Nourish, and Protect the Family

Materials:

Pictures: 10 or so of various natural resources/of nature; pictures that go along with the quotes (for me, Postcards #1-11, 18, 26, 83, 88, 98).
Picture of family—a child’s artwork
Excerpts of quotes on back of postcards (post its)—excerpts underlined below, with postcard number.
The Family: a Proclamation to the World (I printed it on red paper so it would look like the Title of Liberty).

Part One: The family as our greatest natural resource

Q: What is our nation’s most valuable (natural) resource?
Lay out natural resource pictures (for me, postcards 1-10), one at a time, naming them as you go. She chooses one.
These are all important, but we have a natural resource that is even more valuable. Set out last picture, of a family.
Why the family is most important: Without these natural resources, we cannot survive physically. Without strong families, we cannot survive spiritually.
Discussion: How is a strong family a good natural resource?

Part Two: Why Must I Defend the Doctrine of the Family?

Quotes from Visiting Teaching message:
The First Presidency and Quorum of the Twelve Apostles: “The family is ordained of God. Marriage between man and woman is essential to His eternal plan. Children are entitled to birth within the bonds of matrimony, and to be reared by a father and a mother who honor marital vows with complete fidelity” (“The Family: A Proclamation to the World,” Liahona, Oct. 2004, 49; Ensign, Nov. 1995, 102).
Julie B. Beck, Relief Society general president: “As a disciple of Jesus Christ, every woman in this Church is given the responsibility for upholding, nurturing, and protecting families. Women have distinct assignments given to them from before the foundation of the world. And as a covenant-keeping Latter-day Saint woman, you know that raising your voice in defense of the doctrine of the family is critical to the strength of families the world over” (“What Latter-day Saint Women Do Best: Stand Strong and Immovable,” Liahona and Ensign, Nov. 2007, 110). (postcard #4)
#4

Part Three: How Can I Defend the Family?

Quotes from Visiting Teaching message:
D&C 88:119: “Establish a house, even a house of prayer, a house of fasting, a house of faith, a house of learning, a house of glory, a house of order, a house of God.”
President Spencer W. Kimball (1895–1985): “Home is a haven against the storms and struggles of life. Spirituality is born and nurtured by daily prayer, scripture study, home gospel discussions and related activities, home evenings, family councils, working and playing together, serving each other, and sharing the gospel with those around us. Spirituality is also nurtured in our actions of patience, kindness, and forgiveness toward each other and in our applying gospel principles in the family circle” (“Therefore I Was Taught,” Tambuli, Aug. 1982, 2; Ensign, Jan. 1982, 3). (postcard #1)
Elder M. Russell Ballard of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles: “I call upon members of the Church and on committed parents, grandparents, and extended family members everywhere to hold fast to [the family] proclamation, to make it a banner not unlike General Moroni’s ‘title of liberty,’ and to commit ourselves to live by its precepts. …
“In today’s world, where Satan’s aggression against the family is so prevalent, parents must do all they can to fortify and defend their families. But their efforts may not be enough. Our most basic institution of family desperately needs help and support from the extended family and the public institutions that surround us” (“What Matters Most Is What Lasts Longest,” Liahona and Ensign, Nov. 2005, 42–43). (drawing of family, postcard #18)
Elder Robert S. Wood of the Seventy: “For too many, responsibility seems to end with hand-wringing and exclamations of dismay. Yet talk without action accomplishes little. We need to be vigorously engaged in the world. If our schools are inadequate or destructive of moral values, we must work with fellow members of the community to bring about change. If our neighborhoods are unsafe or unhealthy, we must join with the civic-minded to devise solutions. If our cities and towns are polluted, not only with noxious gases but soul-destroying addictions and smut, we must labor to find legitimate ways to eliminate such filth. … We have the responsibility to be a blessing to others, to our nation, to the world” (“On the Responsible Self,” Ensign, Mar. 2002, 30–31). (postcards #88, 83, 98, 11, 26)
#1, 18, 88, 83, 98, 11, 26 (drawing later)

For Parts 2 and 3:

Underlined portions on back of postcards, in order stated above.
Also mention Proclamation in Part 2.
Postcards are read one at a time. Discussions should follow.

Closing:

End with a discussion on what we, as college students, can do to help the family. Specifically, what each sister can do. Ideas include:

Teach others. Share our beliefs.
Learn more about the gospel, and become strong in Christ.
Develop our own testimonies further.
Serve others.
Be an example.
Set patterns now that will help our future families.
Be politically and socially active in regards to moral issues.

Read the first part of the M. Russell Ballard quote (drawing). Give each girl her own Family: a Proclamation to the World “Title of Liberty.”

The Family:A Proclamation to the World
The First Presidency and Council of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

We, the First Presidency and the Council of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, solemnly proclaim that marriage between a man and a woman is ordained of God and that the family is central to the Creator’s plan for the eternal destiny of His children.

All human beings—male and female—are created in the image of God. Each is a beloved spirit son or daughter of heavenly parents, and, as such, each has a divine nature and destiny. Gender is an essential characteristic of individual premortal, mortal, and eternal identity and purpose.

In the premortal realm, spirit sons and daughters knew and worshipped God as their Eternal Father and accepted His plan by which His children could obtain a physical body and gain earthly experience to progress toward perfection and ultimately realize their divine destiny as heirs of eternal life. The divine plan of happiness enables family relationships to be perpetuated beyond the grave. Sacred ordinances and covenants available in holy temples make it possible for individuals to return to the presence of God and for families to be united eternally.

The first commandment that God gave to Adam and Eve pertained to their potential for parenthood as husband and wife. We declare that God’s commandment for His children to multiply and replenish the earth remains in force. We further declare that God has commanded that the sacred powers of procreation are to be employed only between man and woman, lawfully wedded as husband and wife.

We declare the means by which mortal life is created to be divinely appointed. We affirm the sanctity of life and of its importance in God’s eternal plan.

Husband and wife have a solemn responsibility to love and care for each other and for their children. “Children are an heritage of the Lord” (Psalm 127:3). Parents have a sacred duty to rear their children in love and righteousness, to provide for their physical and spiritual needs, and to teach them to love and serve one another, observe the commandments of God, and be law-abiding citizens wherever they live. Husbands and wives—mothers and fathers—will be held accountable before God for the discharge of these obligations.

The family is ordained of God. Marriage between man and woman is essential to His eternal plan. Children are entitled to birth within the bonds of matrimony, and to be reared by a father and a mother who honor marital vows with complete fidelity. Happiness in family life is most likely to be achieved when founded upon the teachings of the Lord Jesus Christ. Successful marriages and families are established and maintained on principles of faith, prayer, repentance, forgiveness, respect, love, compassion, work, and wholesome recreational activities. By divine design, fathers are to preside over their families in love and righteousness and are responsible to provide the necessities of life and protection for their families. Mothers are primarily responsible for the nurture of their children. In these sacred responsibilities, fathers and mothers are obligated to help one another as equal partners. Disability, death, or other circumstances may necessitate individual adaptation. Extended families should lend support when needed.

We warn that individuals who violate covenants of chastity, who abuse spouse or offspring, or who fail to fulfill family responsibilities will one day stand accountable before God. Further, we warn that the disintegration of the family will bring upon individuals, communities, and nations the calamities foretold by ancient and modern prophets.

We call upon responsible citizens and officers of government everywhere to promote those measures designed to maintain and strengthen the family as the fundamental unit of society.

This proclamation was read by President Gordon B. Hinckley as part of his message at the General Relief Society Meeting held September 23, 1995, in Salt Lake City, Utah.

© 1995, 2008 by Intellectual Reserve, Inc. All rights reserved. Printed in the United States of America.

Unified Writing

2009-04-06T18:31:00.012-06:00

Objective: To build class/group unity through working together to write a story.

Materials:

notebook and pens/pencils (optional)
5 apparently unrelated pictures per group; at least 2 groups (for me, Grp 1: postcards # 85, 100, 106, 113, 117; Grp 2: postcards # 1, 8, 15, 16, 21; Grp 3: postcards #49, 52, 53, 58, 82)
watch or stopwatch or timer
5 minutes for the activity, a few minutes to share, and a couple minutes for the discussion

Activity:

Break the class into groups of four or five.
Hand each group pens and pencils, a notepad/notebook, and 5 pictures.
"You have five minutes to write/(optional: make up) a story telling us about all five pictures. Go."
Suggest that someone take notes.
Do not prompt the students with ideas.
When they're done, have the students share their stories with the other groups.
(Optional: have them form stories, without writing them out.)

Discussion:

What did each person in your group contribute?
How would the result have been different if you were working on your own?
Describe the dynamics inside your group--different roles, bonding, seeing different sides to people, etc.
"And he commanded them that there should be no contention one with another, but that they should look forward with one eye, having one faith and one baptism, having their hearts knit together in unity and in love one towards another." -Mosiah 18:21 (Alma teaching at the Waters of Mormon)
What can we do to be more unified as (an FHE family)/(a class)/(a group)?
Challenge to get to know each person in the group more deeply, more as Christ would have us see them.

Nursery Rhyme writing prompts

2009-03-24T22:29:00.002-06:00

Many nursery rhymes have been around for so long that we no longer know their original meanings. Many have speculated as to their meanings, as they were written by common people in response to the happenings of their times. Others, however, have made up stories to explain nursery rhymes instead.

L. Frank Baum, the author of The Wizard of Oz, wrote Mother Goose in Prose to explain the stories behind nursery rhymes.

Choose one or two of the stories (found in Project Gutenberg at http://www.gutenberg.org/etext/5312) to read to the class, to tell the class, or have the class read. Discuss how Baum was using nursery rhymes to build stories around, and invite the class to do the same. Nursery rhymes can be found on my website, Project Nursery Rhymes.

R-A-T-T-L-E-S-N-A-K-E

2009-03-20T10:48:00.004-06:00

In music, yesterday we learned a game called R-A-T-T-L-E-S-N-A-K-E. In this game, one player is the rattlesnake's head, and all the other players form a chain behind him or her by placing their hands on the shoulders of the player in front of them. Jumping to the rhythm of the song, the rattlesnake's head slowly spirals the line in, tighter and tighter, until he/she hisses and starts tagging people. At a signal from the game's moderator, the round ends, and all those who were tagged go to the "graveyard," and the rattlesnake's head chooses one of them to be the next rattlesnake's head.

This game can be related to sin, to following the temptations of Satan. If we allow him to, he will lead us further and further towards him, leading us somewhere where we cannot escape us. This is a very gradual process, but even so, it happens surprisingly quickly. One moment, you're in a circle, and the next, you're in a big mass of people tightly coiled together. And then comes the attack.

If we allow Satan to lead us long enough, he will attack and we will be at his mercy, but any time before he strikes, we can still turn away. The closer the chain is coiled, the harder it is to turn away, but repentance is still possible. We can still turn away at any time, until we have become like Satan.

I don't want to scare people with this, but just to point out the danger. Satan is powerful, IF we let him have power over us. But the longer we allow him to lead us, the harder it is to turn away.

NOTE: This could also be used in teaching drug resistance and recovery.

Process drama to help students take on roles

2009-03-18T12:44:00.003-06:00

In drama, we've had lots of experiences with different drama methods that help the student develop characters. But I've found that using process drama to explore different settings takes pressure off of the drama aspect and helps students create realistic characters.

So I figured that using process drama as a frame could be very helpful.

Themes:

familiar children's literature
historical events, such as the Civil War, civil rights movement, feminist movement, current controversial issues, etc.
movie clip
anything else that encourages character exploration and context to develop our own characters in

Since process drama is about the process, not about a dramatic performance, this will have less pressure and more freedom for exploration.