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.
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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.