Assessment Education Issue

The presentation on assessment in terms of NCLB and other areas was very good! I liked the station type presentation style and each station had a very different and engaging of making their points. I liked the board game a lot, and I liked that I won! It was clear that a lot of effort was put into that aspect of the presentation. Scenarios are always fun, so I enjoyed being able to act out a skit as well. It really helped me understand the concept of how assessments are done, who can be exempt, and some things that determine how one does on an assessment. The station where we were able to make accommodations for students based on situations that they have outside the classroom was very well done as well. It helped us brainstorm ways that we can accommodate assessments for students. It is something that will come up many times is our teaching careers, so it is good to start thinking of solutions now.
All in all, the presentation was very well done. It seems this group put a lot of time in effort in their presentation through the construction of their Wix page and hook activity which was very well done as well. You all did a great job, thanks!

Motivation Educational Issue

The presentation was very useful for me when considering techniques I can use in my classroom to motivate my students. I have never really thought about using games in the classroom, as I have never really played games and feel like there is not educational merit. However, using the links provided I came across some websites which have many video games which incorporate trivia and background knowledge. I found myself playing a game about the construction of a pyramid, and depending on how you constructed it would determine how successful it was. I think that these are good SUPPLEMENTS, but should not be the lesson. As a teacher, I would feel comfortable using these methods, providing that I would take time to explain the importance of the material and how it relates. That way students aren't just playing video games, they're learning about the material as well. One of the stages where we discussed scenarios about behavior problems in the classroom due to lack of motivation gave me a good idea of how to handle common problems that arise in the classroom. I feel that it is important not to immediately discipline a student for acting out, making a joke or other comments, but to try and make a teachable moment out of it, where the students can learn. Overall I feel the presentation was great and I truly learning a lot through taking part in all three of the stations.

Discipline Educational Issue

I really enjoyed the presentation on discipline. The activities allowed me to reflect on my experiences as a student as I thought back to how my classrooms were disciplined and what techniques worked and didn't work. I found that my discipline style was more on the authoritative side, meaning that I value clear expectations and student independence and accountability. When it comes to punishment, the authoritative style recognizes the negative behavior and thinks through how to deal with it, and sticks by the expectations but is not too harsh in punishment. I felt that this was true for my view on discipline, but before the presentation I had not really thought about it too deeply. The skits we performed really helped me understand the types of discipline there are, and which forms I am comfortable with. The essay does a good job of explaining the problems with discipline in schools today, and this was revealed during the presentation in the texts that we looked over in our table groups. The best part was that it was not told to us by the presenters, it was explored and explained through the class as a result of the activities. This presentation was very helpful as I develop my philosophy of education.

Multicultural Education Educational Issue

The topic of multiculturalism is a very debatable one with many ideas and aspects, which was shown through three debates on various issues pertaining to multicultural education. I strongly believe if gender roles and sexuality are present in a teenagers world, then what they are reading should pertain to it, or learning about should in some way incorporate it. Not that I am saying to teach sex, safe sex practices, or anything like that. But to find some way to incorporate common issues that appear in an adolescents life. I hope that as time goes on society's views of sexuality shift and allow the widespread use of materials dealing with gender and sexuality. Discussing it in a mature classroom setting can be very beneficial to students. Religion is another controversial topic under multiculturalism and just as the Department of Education states, I too believe that religion can be taught without displaying personal and religious beliefs on students. There are many relevant books that deal with culture, tradition, and religion, and almost all of them are important to a history class. I believe literature about Islam, Hinduism, Judaism, Christianity, and other religions have a place in a history classroom. I would not be afraid to use a book with a religious or sexual content, provided it is relevant to class and that I am confident my students are mature enough for it.