Abstract
Chapter two of Turning Points 2000 takes the eight principles from the original Turning Points a decade ago, and creates seven recommendations for improving middle grades schools and the education of their students.
These recommendations are said “to ensure success for every student,” not just most students. This is said to be the overarching goal; the end result.
One must remember that the seven recommendations made by Turning Points 2000 form a system. Each principle influences the other. We cannot just change one aspect of middle grades education, the entire system needs to be revamped to ensure success. Middle grades education needs to involve teachers, parents, and the community
The same vision of a fifteen-year-old remains the same from Turning Points to Turning Points 2000. This “fifteen-year-old reflects the philosophy behind Turning Points and Turning Points 2000” and is meant to “include every middle” school student. The following are five characteristics of effective human beings:
1. An intellectually reflective person,
2. A person en route to a lifetime of meaningful work,
3. A good citizen,
4. A caring ethical individual,
5. A healthy person
Reflection:
As a class, we noted that it is important to remember that the seven recommendations impact one another. A school cannot implement only one of the recommendations and expect change or success. To ensure success, all seven recommendations must be met. Most of us agreed that for a successful middle school program, we need to connect schools with families and the community, which was one of the seven recommendations. Also, teachers must be trained and have qualifications specifically for this age group. We are preparing students for the future and we believe every student is capable of learning. To better prepare students for the future, we believe that teaming is a great method for bridging elementary school and high school. Understanding that students must be prepared for society, we agree that setting standards is necessary because it drives people towards success.
Thursday, January 31, 2008
Wednesday, January 30, 2008
Angela's Blog on This We Believe
Abstract (Pages 1-51): This We Believe shares many beliefs with other books out there on middle grades education. During their middle school years, children develop quite a bit. Children see as much growth during this stage as they did during infancy. Because children change at different rates and in front of their peers, middle school can be a place of turnmoil. Adolescents change intellectually, physically, socially, emotionally, and morally. Growing up in our society has worsened over the years as adolsecents have more pressures than ever before. The family structure has changed, along with the entertainment world and our economy. Adolescents learn about relationships and substances during middle school and thus must be offered health, safety, and wellness classes. This We Believe also discusses how children at this age enjoy learning about things that interest them most and topics they can relate to the world around them. Material needs to be relavant, challenging, integrative, and exploratory for adolescents.
"For middle schools to be successful, their students must be successful; for students to be successful, the school's organization, curriculum, pedagogy, and problems must be based upon the developmental readiness, needs, and interests of young adolescents." (p1) Middle schools need educators who value working with this age group and are prepared to do so; teachers who can be leaders and who can work effectively with co-workers. School should be a safe environment where both students and teachers can learn and educate (also known as active learning). Both parties should have high expectation for themselves and each other. Working with the community and families of students is also an important part of successful schools. Students need the support of their teachers, their families, and their community and learn how to interact with all three.
Diversity is a major part of schools these days, and because of it, our curriculum and teachers must be diversified. This section also talks about the importance of assessment and evaluation and how it can either hinder or promote student learning. Students should be assessed on their progress- how much they learned, what they learned that they did not know prior to the unit/activity. It is difficult to evaluate students based on standards or compared to their classmates when each student comes from a different background with different levels of understanding and prior knowledge. Also highlighted in This We Believe is the necessityof organizing schools and grades into "structures that support meaningful relationships and learning."
Reflection (Pages 1-51): I respect that This We Believe shares its beliefs on middle grades education with the other text we have read, such as Meet Me in the Middle and Turning Points 2000. This shows how important the beliefs are and how essential they are to middle school programs. I responded earlier to students being assessed this way: I wonder how and think it's interesting that teachers and administrators can give standardized testing to students and then evaluate students on their performance. We all have different backgrounds - as far as home lives and education. Every person learns differently and does not acquire the same informtion or to the degree of the next person. Yet, we evaluate students based on how well they perform against one another.
I also thought the high expectations piece was interesting. We seem to forget that students live up to our expectations, whether the expectations are low or high. Also, we live up to our own expectations whether they are low or high, so we need to start setting high expectations for everyone around.
The last section of This We Believe was interesting and important in that it talked about the characteristics of middle school students. For me, it was interesting to read how adolescents of different cultures develop differently - how they interact and treat adults and peers for one. I think it is important for people who work with children of this age group to understand the diversity of their students. How we interact with the different cultures is important and what we expect from them will be different. As educators we must take into consideration the unique background of every individual.
_____________________________________________________
Abstract:
The Importance of Middle Level Education (the first "chapter" of This We Believe) sounds much like the other middle education books we have begun reading - Turning Points 2000 and Meet Me in the Middle. The National Middle School Assosiation (NMSA) who wrote This We Believe says that "for middle schools to be successful, their students must be successful; for students to be successful, the school's organization, curriculum, pedagogy, and problems must be based upon the developmental readiness, needs, and interests of young adolescents." (p1) In This We Believe, on page two, the association notes 14 characteristics that lead to successful middle school programs. Much like in Turning Points 2000, school systems should not pick and choose from the 14 characteristics. If schools are to implement, they need to implement all 14 characteristics.
Also noted in the first section is that middle school aged children experience great growth and development, similar to growth of infants. One striking difference between the changes of infants and adolescents is that infants are unaware of their changes and differences to other infants. Adolescents change "intellectually, physically, socially, emotionally, and morally" right in front of their peers.
Pages five and six mention that our changing society also don't help with our youth. Between family structure, our economy, and the entertainment world, adolescents are faced with more battles, differences and pressures than ever before.
Reflection:
I apprieciate that our three texts have the same ideas. It really stresses the importance of the issues facing middle grades education. Another concept I found important is that teachers and administrators must always question if what they are doing leads them in the direction they want to go. For instance, before implementing a rule or designing a unit, staff should ask themselves if it will benefit the students and what their ultimate goal is. One thing that doesn't seem to be addressed in most aspects in society is that there are greater pressures for this generation. If educators are to better help students, we need to understand where they are coming from and help them to deal.
(Pages 9-19)
Abstract
In this section, the NMSA notes what is needed for successful middle schools. The ten pages are then broken down by the important factors, such as: Educators who value working with this age group and are prepared to do so; Courageous, callaborative leadership; A shared vision that guides decisions; and the titles continue. The sections stress the need for teachers who enjoy working with middle level students, teachers who can be leaders and who can work effectively with co-workers. School should be a safe environment where both students and teachers can learn and educate (active learning). Both parties should have high expectation for themselves and each other. Working with the community and families of students is also an important part of successful schools. Students need the support of their teachers, their families, and their community and learn how to interact with all three.
Reflection:
I think an important thing to remember as an educator, what was mentioned in this section, is that we are showing students how to be active learners and respectful citizens. We need to show students how to treat others and how to treat ourselves. It is necessary to show students that learning never stops, that even as teachers, we learn everyday. I think what is interesting is the high expectations piece. We seem to forget that students live up to our expectations, whether they are low or high. Also, we live up to our own expectations whether they are low or high, so we need to start setting high expectations for everyone around.
(19-34)
Abstract: For every student to be successful, the curriculum should be "relevant, challenging, integrative, and exploratory." Students better understand material when they can relate what they are learning to the world around them. We want students to enjoy what they are learning, but that does not mean we are limited to just their interests. As teachers, it is our responsibility to open their minds to new ideas and concepts. Technology helps teachers to broaden students learning and is one method for allowing students to explore subjects more in depth. Diversity is a major part of schools these days, and because of it, our curriculum and teachers must be diversified. This section also talks about the importance of assessment and evaluation and how it can either hinder or promote student learning. Students should be assessed how their progress- how much they learned, what they learned that they did not know prior to the unit/activity. It is difficult to evaluate students based on standards or compared to their classmates when each student comes from a different background with different levels of understanding and prior knowledge. Also highlighted in this section is the necessityof organizing schools and grades into "structures that support meaningful relationships and learning." Because middle school is a time of great development, when students are learning about substances and relationships, middle schools need to offer programs that educate students on "health, wellness and safety." Adding on to the use of advisor groups and activities, schools need to provide guidance services for students. Guidance professionals take advisor groups to the next level.
Refelction:
I learned the difference between assessment and evaluation. I always use the words interchangably, which I learned was incorrect. I have never been a fan of standardized tests and feel supported in my beliefs after having read this section. I wonder how and think it's interesting that teachers and administrators can give standardized testing to students and then evaluate students on their performance. We all have different backgrounds - as far as home lives and education. Every person learns differently and does not acquire the same informtion or to the degree of the next person. Yet, we evaluate students based on how well they perform against one another.
Abstract: (35-51)
This section covers several topics. One is that teachers, administrators, parents, and all those who work with middle grade aged students must read This We Believe. Secondly, this section covered the characteristics of middle school aged children, such as their physical development, cognitive-intellectual development, moral and psychological development, and social-emotional development.
Reflection: It is important for teachers, parents, and all those that work with children to understand what students of this age are going through. I think sometimes people forget that this is a rough age group. I forget it myself and needed to be reminded (with help from this section). What I thought was interesting was the difference in adolescents of different cultures, how they treat and interact with friends and family. This shows the impact of culture on our children and how it can be difficult in school with different beliefs and trying to fit it.
"For middle schools to be successful, their students must be successful; for students to be successful, the school's organization, curriculum, pedagogy, and problems must be based upon the developmental readiness, needs, and interests of young adolescents." (p1) Middle schools need educators who value working with this age group and are prepared to do so; teachers who can be leaders and who can work effectively with co-workers. School should be a safe environment where both students and teachers can learn and educate (also known as active learning). Both parties should have high expectation for themselves and each other. Working with the community and families of students is also an important part of successful schools. Students need the support of their teachers, their families, and their community and learn how to interact with all three.
Diversity is a major part of schools these days, and because of it, our curriculum and teachers must be diversified. This section also talks about the importance of assessment and evaluation and how it can either hinder or promote student learning. Students should be assessed on their progress- how much they learned, what they learned that they did not know prior to the unit/activity. It is difficult to evaluate students based on standards or compared to their classmates when each student comes from a different background with different levels of understanding and prior knowledge. Also highlighted in This We Believe is the necessityof organizing schools and grades into "structures that support meaningful relationships and learning."
Reflection (Pages 1-51): I respect that This We Believe shares its beliefs on middle grades education with the other text we have read, such as Meet Me in the Middle and Turning Points 2000. This shows how important the beliefs are and how essential they are to middle school programs. I responded earlier to students being assessed this way: I wonder how and think it's interesting that teachers and administrators can give standardized testing to students and then evaluate students on their performance. We all have different backgrounds - as far as home lives and education. Every person learns differently and does not acquire the same informtion or to the degree of the next person. Yet, we evaluate students based on how well they perform against one another.
I also thought the high expectations piece was interesting. We seem to forget that students live up to our expectations, whether the expectations are low or high. Also, we live up to our own expectations whether they are low or high, so we need to start setting high expectations for everyone around.
The last section of This We Believe was interesting and important in that it talked about the characteristics of middle school students. For me, it was interesting to read how adolescents of different cultures develop differently - how they interact and treat adults and peers for one. I think it is important for people who work with children of this age group to understand the diversity of their students. How we interact with the different cultures is important and what we expect from them will be different. As educators we must take into consideration the unique background of every individual.
_____________________________________________________
Abstract:
The Importance of Middle Level Education (the first "chapter" of This We Believe) sounds much like the other middle education books we have begun reading - Turning Points 2000 and Meet Me in the Middle. The National Middle School Assosiation (NMSA) who wrote This We Believe says that "for middle schools to be successful, their students must be successful; for students to be successful, the school's organization, curriculum, pedagogy, and problems must be based upon the developmental readiness, needs, and interests of young adolescents." (p1) In This We Believe, on page two, the association notes 14 characteristics that lead to successful middle school programs. Much like in Turning Points 2000, school systems should not pick and choose from the 14 characteristics. If schools are to implement, they need to implement all 14 characteristics.
Also noted in the first section is that middle school aged children experience great growth and development, similar to growth of infants. One striking difference between the changes of infants and adolescents is that infants are unaware of their changes and differences to other infants. Adolescents change "intellectually, physically, socially, emotionally, and morally" right in front of their peers.
Pages five and six mention that our changing society also don't help with our youth. Between family structure, our economy, and the entertainment world, adolescents are faced with more battles, differences and pressures than ever before.
Reflection:
I apprieciate that our three texts have the same ideas. It really stresses the importance of the issues facing middle grades education. Another concept I found important is that teachers and administrators must always question if what they are doing leads them in the direction they want to go. For instance, before implementing a rule or designing a unit, staff should ask themselves if it will benefit the students and what their ultimate goal is. One thing that doesn't seem to be addressed in most aspects in society is that there are greater pressures for this generation. If educators are to better help students, we need to understand where they are coming from and help them to deal.
(Pages 9-19)
Abstract
In this section, the NMSA notes what is needed for successful middle schools. The ten pages are then broken down by the important factors, such as: Educators who value working with this age group and are prepared to do so; Courageous, callaborative leadership; A shared vision that guides decisions; and the titles continue. The sections stress the need for teachers who enjoy working with middle level students, teachers who can be leaders and who can work effectively with co-workers. School should be a safe environment where both students and teachers can learn and educate (active learning). Both parties should have high expectation for themselves and each other. Working with the community and families of students is also an important part of successful schools. Students need the support of their teachers, their families, and their community and learn how to interact with all three.
Reflection:
I think an important thing to remember as an educator, what was mentioned in this section, is that we are showing students how to be active learners and respectful citizens. We need to show students how to treat others and how to treat ourselves. It is necessary to show students that learning never stops, that even as teachers, we learn everyday. I think what is interesting is the high expectations piece. We seem to forget that students live up to our expectations, whether they are low or high. Also, we live up to our own expectations whether they are low or high, so we need to start setting high expectations for everyone around.
(19-34)
Abstract: For every student to be successful, the curriculum should be "relevant, challenging, integrative, and exploratory." Students better understand material when they can relate what they are learning to the world around them. We want students to enjoy what they are learning, but that does not mean we are limited to just their interests. As teachers, it is our responsibility to open their minds to new ideas and concepts. Technology helps teachers to broaden students learning and is one method for allowing students to explore subjects more in depth. Diversity is a major part of schools these days, and because of it, our curriculum and teachers must be diversified. This section also talks about the importance of assessment and evaluation and how it can either hinder or promote student learning. Students should be assessed how their progress- how much they learned, what they learned that they did not know prior to the unit/activity. It is difficult to evaluate students based on standards or compared to their classmates when each student comes from a different background with different levels of understanding and prior knowledge. Also highlighted in this section is the necessityof organizing schools and grades into "structures that support meaningful relationships and learning." Because middle school is a time of great development, when students are learning about substances and relationships, middle schools need to offer programs that educate students on "health, wellness and safety." Adding on to the use of advisor groups and activities, schools need to provide guidance services for students. Guidance professionals take advisor groups to the next level.
Refelction:
I learned the difference between assessment and evaluation. I always use the words interchangably, which I learned was incorrect. I have never been a fan of standardized tests and feel supported in my beliefs after having read this section. I wonder how and think it's interesting that teachers and administrators can give standardized testing to students and then evaluate students on their performance. We all have different backgrounds - as far as home lives and education. Every person learns differently and does not acquire the same informtion or to the degree of the next person. Yet, we evaluate students based on how well they perform against one another.
Abstract: (35-51)
This section covers several topics. One is that teachers, administrators, parents, and all those who work with middle grade aged students must read This We Believe. Secondly, this section covered the characteristics of middle school aged children, such as their physical development, cognitive-intellectual development, moral and psychological development, and social-emotional development.
Reflection: It is important for teachers, parents, and all those that work with children to understand what students of this age are going through. I think sometimes people forget that this is a rough age group. I forget it myself and needed to be reminded (with help from this section). What I thought was interesting was the difference in adolescents of different cultures, how they treat and interact with friends and family. This shows the impact of culture on our children and how it can be difficult in school with different beliefs and trying to fit it.
Sarah T's This We Believe
The ideas covered in these seven pages are about the changes in social, emotional, physical, and intellectual development of 10-15 year olds at the middle school level. It is important to understand that at this time, as teachers, it is not only our job to create a positive learning environment that is full of authentic assessments as well as differentiated instruction that plugs in to the interests and desires of the students, but it is also our job to foster a caring, healthy environment in which we provide students with the tools to make appropriate choices for their lives during this difficult time period. Adolescents lives are constantly changing while they are forced to make important decisions about their lives. This happens in the face of peer pressure, temptations involving sex, drugs, alcohol as well as the consumer aspect of life. It is important that we, as middle level educators, have the understanding and training to be able to work with these students. The National Middle School Association has fourteen components they believe create a well implemented middle school. They include the following:
teachers who care about these students and who have necessary training
leaders who work together
a vision that is used to make decisions
an enviornment that is safe, supportive and encouraging
the belieft that every student can perform at a high level
students and teachers learning together
an advocate for every student
an environment that fosters family and community involvement
curriculum that challenges, explores, and integrates
differentiated instruction
authentic assessment
organization that supports meaningful relationships and learning
school-wide policies that encourage health and safety
and guidance and support services
The next pages elaborate on the points made by the National Middle School Association. Those include the points previously discussed. It is important to create an environment that allows students to feel safe, to be able to make mistakes, and to foster some independence and thinking. Students need to have relationships with adults they can trust as well as to work with adults who care about them and understand the difficult time period they are going through. Also, it is important to keep the connection between families and the community.
It is important to understand that when teachers decide to "cover" the material that is required to meet the standards, true learning does not take place. That is why it is important to have middle schools that create a curriculum that is relevant, challenging, integrative, and exploratory. The curriculum needs to be relevant to the student's lives and explores questions that they want to answer. Although the text discusses the idea that all of the material should not be generated from their own interests, yet it should help students to develop new interests as well. It is important that the material is challenging to the students, but not out of reach. When material seems unreachable to students, they shut down and the learning stops. It is about "teach[ing] skills and concepts in context, with the focus on helping students become skilled writers, thinkers, and explorers, rather than merely copying or memorizing other' ideas" (21). The authors discuss how the content and methods need to be geared towards individual students and that by integrative they mean to connect the material to their lives and the world around them. The learning is more authentic when it can be taught in specific subject areas and then applied to other stuff and real life.
Exploratory learning is about uncovering and exploring new information and ideas. Hands on exploration and learning are extremely important during this time period.
Authentic assessment is a huge aspect of this. When teachers use authentic assessment they have the ability to actually teach their students things and then evaluate them effectively. The student has the ability to demonstrate their learning in a valid way that isn't with pen and paper.
I believe that the biggest piece to successful middle level education is the early intervention. Middle school is the time where all of these changes are happening, and we, as educators, have the abilitity to help students make informed and hopefully good choices by demonstrating and teaching them what these are. Also, in the face of all of that, we have the opportunity to get students encouraged and hooked on learning. It is an extremely powerful opportunity to shape the minds of the young people who will become the leaders of tomorrow. I believe teachers need to be learning along with their students. It is a great idea to collaborate with the students to come up with assignments and to ask for their input. They'll give it and they have great ideas. I know I say this all the time, but I love the idea of involving students in decisions about projects and assessments and the rules and regulations of the classroom. First of all, students have really good ideas and they know exactly what they need and want. Second, you are putting the power in their hands, which means they are going to be more interested and engaged. I really agree with the idea that the learning needs to be authentic, and exploratory. I believe that it is not simply about copying and pasting the ideas of others and creating an essay or regurgitating what others are saying. THAT IS NOT LEARNING. That is exactly what I did until I came to college and I strongly believe that the curriculum and instruction need to be different in order to prevent this. I also love the idea of how they discussed writing journals because that also enables you to incorporate literacy into the classroom.
Ch 1 Turning Points 2000
Abstract:
The biggest aspect of this chapter is the Turning Points report that was released and comparing schools who used this report and those who didn’t. The suggestions in the article included restructuring the school into smaller communities, teaching core areas of learning, ensuring success for all students, putting power in the hands of the teachers and principals, using teachers who know how to handle adolescents, promoting education and good health, and working with families and communities in the process. Many schools are not adopting the Turning Points ideas and suggestions, but those who are see increased test scores and an overall improvement in the school. The other main idea is the whole idea of a middle school. The authors suggest that middle schools work best when including grades 5-8 or 6-8 and run based on the suggestions from Turning Points. More importantly, the point should be that it is important to provide and equal education to every student and expect every student to be successful.
Class Reflection:
It is interesting to note the connection between poorer families and their student achievement and the implication of the Turning Points suggestions. The changes have been slowest to occur in these areas where they are needed the most. We like the idea of teams and communities, and when done right they can be extremely effective in working towards success for every student .We also believe that an important factor in middle level education is having open lines of communication with families. We also found it interesting that the recommendations in Turning Points were actually improving students test scores. Another very interesting connection was the idea of the differentiated instruction and appropriate assessments that we had learned in practicum. These were some of the Turning Points recommendations that were helping to improve these schools. Turning Points helps middle school educators and faculty maneuver their students through a time that is already hard enough because of the hormones, emotional, physical, social, and intellectual changes they are going through at this time. Some people also believe that there should be a separate degree that is earned by people wishing to teach middle school. This would ensure that all faculty at the middle school level are properly trained and have the experience to deal with young adolescents. Also, continual professional development based upon current research and ideas is a must.
The biggest aspect of this chapter is the Turning Points report that was released and comparing schools who used this report and those who didn’t. The suggestions in the article included restructuring the school into smaller communities, teaching core areas of learning, ensuring success for all students, putting power in the hands of the teachers and principals, using teachers who know how to handle adolescents, promoting education and good health, and working with families and communities in the process. Many schools are not adopting the Turning Points ideas and suggestions, but those who are see increased test scores and an overall improvement in the school. The other main idea is the whole idea of a middle school. The authors suggest that middle schools work best when including grades 5-8 or 6-8 and run based on the suggestions from Turning Points. More importantly, the point should be that it is important to provide and equal education to every student and expect every student to be successful.
Class Reflection:
It is interesting to note the connection between poorer families and their student achievement and the implication of the Turning Points suggestions. The changes have been slowest to occur in these areas where they are needed the most. We like the idea of teams and communities, and when done right they can be extremely effective in working towards success for every student .We also believe that an important factor in middle level education is having open lines of communication with families. We also found it interesting that the recommendations in Turning Points were actually improving students test scores. Another very interesting connection was the idea of the differentiated instruction and appropriate assessments that we had learned in practicum. These were some of the Turning Points recommendations that were helping to improve these schools. Turning Points helps middle school educators and faculty maneuver their students through a time that is already hard enough because of the hormones, emotional, physical, social, and intellectual changes they are going through at this time. Some people also believe that there should be a separate degree that is earned by people wishing to teach middle school. This would ensure that all faculty at the middle school level are properly trained and have the experience to deal with young adolescents. Also, continual professional development based upon current research and ideas is a must.
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