Chapter 5 Questions to consider

Chapter 5 (p. 137-149)

(3) You have now read several views about intelligence. What do you think about intelligence?

Is it one trait or many? more heavily influenced by nature or nurture? a fixed capacity or a

modifiable ability? Articulate your views in a paragraph of 6-8 sentences.

 

     I think that intelligence is something that can not be measured.  Humans as a whole are very intelligent, and a properly functioning brain is capable of incredible things.  I believe that everyone is intelligent in some way, whether it be math and science, history and writing, physical and mechanical, or social.  Each of these has strenths in different ways, and all can lead to success.  For example, someone who is good a academic subjects and school, but is not good at interpreting emotions of others and communicating well, would not make a good lawyer.  A lawyer is seen as a prestigious job, but someone who is very intelligent in social aspects would fare better in this field than someone who is a mathematical genius.  I believe that everyone is intelligent in some way, and that students have to find that area and pursue it.

Chapter 4 questions to consider

(1) Using the CSEL case that you have chosen as a guide, explore all of the possible group

differences that may have an effect on your target student(s) or the class as a whole. Consider

such group differences as cultural/ethnic differences, gender, SES differences, and “at risk”

status.

(2) After reading this chapter, what are your thoughts about how to promote a positive learning

environment in your classroom, realizing that your students may require your example in

welcoming and appreciating diversity? Include at least three areas where you will facilitate

honoring of students’ differences.

     In the last post, I referenced a case study about a middle school girl acting out in class.  The class is surely to have several different ethnic and cultural groups within it.  I do not think this is a likely cause to why Cherie is acting in class, the case study does not specify race or ethnicity of the class.  Gender may play a role in her behavior, as girls are often concerned with what others think of them, and Cherie is likely trying to gain approval from her peers.  It is possible that her SES plays a role in her behavior, but there is no way to tell from the case study presented.  It is possible that her parents or gaurdians work odd hours and she is not getting the needed attention at home, thus seeking it at school.

     I feel that maintaining a positive learning environment entails keeping the room neat and clean, keeping the class under control, and decorating the room with relevant posters and other things.  As far as keeping the room clean, the students will keep their instruments in a designated storage room, so the band room proper is kept open and neat.  The percussion instruments that are too large to fit in the percussion closet (ex. Tympani, Chimes, Bass drum) will have a specified location in the room, out of the way of traffic.  The students will be expected to put their individual chair and stand up at the end of rehearsal.  Keeping the class under control is also a key part of maintaining a positive learning environment.  Talking must be kept to a minimum.  If the teacher has to compete for attention with the students in the class, there is a good chance that many things will not get heard.  Having relevant items on decorating the room is also a good idea.  In the band room, it is a good idea to post the circle of fifths and other music related terminology around the room.  I have seen the national standards posted in the band room on several occasions as well.  I would also like to have a college bulletin board, where I can post information about different college band programs.

Chapter 3 Questions to consider

(3.1) Personal and social development can have a major influence on both individual student

learning and the learning environment as a whole. Identify a case from the CSEL guidelines*

that you would like to address in your paper. Then, examine the possible developmental

factors that could be influencing your target student(s) or classroom in the case study. Consider

all dimensions of personal and social development, including cognitive, language, social,

emotional, and moral development. *CSEL guidelines can be found under CSEL Artifact. Cases

are included at the end of the document. Choose the case that best suits your desired grade level.

 

(3.22) Check out tables 3.1 (p. 75), 3.2 (p. 83) and 3.3 (p. 91) with particular attention to the age

ranges you are interested in teaching. Identify your personal favorite ways that an educator can

promote a child’s sense of self, perspective taking, and moral reasoning skills.

 

      " You are particularly frustrated with a seventh grade group of students that appears to engage less and less with learning and more and more with one of your highly amusing leaders of the class. Cherie is really funny, but does not show good judgment in choosing appropriate times and ways to be funny. Yesterday she tripped Carmen as she passed her desk on the way to get a chair for a guest in our class. The day before, Cherie made rude noises throughout small group presentations. Today Cherie jumped up while Tommy was reading a poem about a battle, a poem that appeared engaging to the majority of the students; she started pretending she was shooting a gun at other students. Several joined in the pretend battle and disrupted the class to the point that Tommy could not finish reading the poem."

     In this case, the majority of the class seems to have originally been interested in learning, but the more Cherie acts out, the more the other students pay attention to her. In turn, the attention Cherie is receiving is likely provoking her actions. Being in the seventh grade, the students are going through several changes in their life, from childhood to adolescence. During early adolescence, it is common for a student's self-esteem to drop, and the students begin to search for ways to gain acceptance from their peers (Ormrod, 2011, pg. 71). It seems that Cherie's sense of humor is enjoyed by the rest of the class. When Cherie acts out in class and gets a reaction from the rest of the students, it is a type of reassurance. This helps Cherie's confidence and self-image.

     It is also likely that Cherie feels the need to entertain her peers, thinking that she is the center of attention. This is described as the imaginary audience, and is common among young adolescents. The imaginary audience is when an adolescent feels that they are the center of attention at all times (Ormrod, 2011, pg. 71). Because she is feeling that the attention is on her, she does not realize the harm she is causing to the other students, such as Carmen and Tommy.

     I plan to address the idea Cherie is having about needing to entertain the class, and that the classroom is not the place for jokes. Since she is likely using this as a way to feel accepted by her peers, it will be important not to hurt her feelings, but convince her not to act out during class time, or at the expense of each other. 

 

     Several tables in the book listed strategies regarding promoting a child's sense of self, perspective taking, and moral reasoning skills.  Regarding promoting a child's sense of self, I like the idea the book suggested of giving students opportunities to examine and experiment.  I feel that at the high school level, many students are preparing to enter the adult world, so treating them so is good preparation for the post-high school world.  For sense of self, I liked the idea of exploring the origins of people's perspective and motives in discussion of real and fictional events.  I think allowing students to see how many other perspectives are in the room helps them to begin taking a closer look at those perspectives.  For promoting moral reasoning and prosocial behavior, I liked the book's idea of encouraging performing community service to engender feelings of commitment to helping others.  The high school marching band plays a large role within a community, and often offer community service such as car washes or rummage sales. 

Chapter 2 Questions to Consider

(2.1) One of the most cited theories of human development is that of Swiss biologist Jean

Piaget. After reading about Piaget’s basic assumptions (p. 27-32) look with particular attention

at the stage of child development you would like to teach. The other most cited theory of

human development belongs to Russian developmentalist Lev Vygotsky. Vygotsky’s theory of

cognitive development leads us to expect greater diversity among our same-aged students than

Piaget. Given these two influential theorists’ ideas on cognitive development, how might you

accommodate students who are not yet working at the level of their peers?

 

(2) Theories in educational psychology promote the idea that language plays a critical role in

cognitive development. Examine Table 2.2 (p. 51), paying particular attention to the age range

that you are interested in teaching. Consider how you might incorporate or adapt the strategies

presented for use with your own students.

 

     The age group I would most like to work with is high school level.  At this point, the students are in Piaget's formal operational stage.  This is when children develop the ability to think abstractly.  In my area, music education, this is important because for students to play expressively, they need to be able to understand the contexts of the music they are playing, and be able to put themselves in that situation.  For example, in a recent concert I attended at a local high school, the band played a piece titled "Mekong" that depicted Vietnam during war time.  The program notes described the piece as having haunting melodies over the top of sounds of war.  The piece opened with a piccolo solo the program described as a Vietnamese flute player playing on the river as jets fly overhead.  While the piccolo players was playing her solo, percussionists on the sides of the audience had drum heads with marbles in them, which rolled around producing a sound eerily similar to a jet engine.  In order to fully achieve the sensation the composer desired, the students need to try and put themselves in the situation they are depicting.  How the Vietnamese flute player would be trying to ensue normal life while the American and Vietcong soldiers battle in the distance, though she plays a happy peaceful melody, the sounds of war cannot be escaped.  This concept of abstract thinking is one that would require students in the Concrete Operational Stage.

     

     For the grade 9-12 age groups, some of the suggested strategies include Consistently using the terminology associated with various academic degrees and considering the underlying meanings in poetry and fiction.  Musical terminology is something that begins in the 5th or 6th grade when the students first begin playing their instruments.  Most music is written using Italian, though German and French composers both write in their native languages.  However, the music that high school students perform, mostly written by American and English composers, is written using Italian due to tradition.  These terms describe the tempo, style, and volume of the piece.  Some of the common terms for tempo are:  Largo, Andante, Moderato, Allegro, Allegretto, and Vivace.  Some of the common terms for style are:  Cantabile, Marcato, Staccato, Legato, and Maestoso.Some of the common terms for dynamics are: pianissimo, piano, mezzo-piano, mezzo-forte, forte, and fortissimo.  These terms are used daily in rehearsal.   

     The concept of underlying meanings in poetry and fiction also applies to music.  In the example given above, the piece would not have the emotional impact that it did if the students just played the music without knowing the context and meaning behind it.  All music, has an underlying idea or concept behind it, whether it is a new child being born (ex. Hazo's Diamond Fanfare), the loss of a loved one (ex. Halvorsen's In Memoriam), or beautiful picturesque landscape (ex. Hazo's Perthshire Majesty).  To truly convey the music to the audience, the students must have an understanding of the underlying meaning of the piece being performed.