Team+RAMBS

Team RAMBS: Robin, Andy, Mark, Brittney, Scott

Questions, and Thoughts:

1. Tech (MB)
Referring to Monke's "unplugged schools", first make sure the students are mindful of how any technology will be used and how it influences their learning. Turn to the internet and the World Fact Book or other sites as a Web Quest for additional research. Using some sort of desktop publishing or presentation software, students will create a persuasive brochure that includes newly researched statistics and pictures from their chosen region. While the teacher's learning target may be at a Bloom level of "Evaluation", and while we would word his target as "students will evaluate data about Africa and decide which region they'd like to live in."

2. Bloom (SC)
Some thoughts: the teacher gave the kids the continent, the data set, the data columns, and asked them to pick a locale to move to. At best, they analyzed the data: "Discuss the pros and cons of" (from the bloom's wheel). But, I'm leaning to what Andy suggested, that they did not advance past Application, as the teacher was providing the material.

3. Peer Coach feed back (SC)
Answer as roleplay Don't forget to praise the kids evenly. "you guys", gender specific language

To do: find citation from reading for gender language

4. Eleven principles of good teaching (All)

 * 1) Are clear about their instructional goals.
 * 2) Are knowledgeable about their content and the strategies for teaching it.
 * 3) Communicate to their students what is expected of then – and why
 * 4) Make expert use of existing instructional materials in order to devote more time to practices that enrich and clarify the content
 * 5) Are knowledgeable about their students, adapting instruction to their needs and anticipating misconceptions in their existing knowledge
 * 6) Teach students metacognitive strategies and give them opportunities to master them
 * 7) Address higher-level as well as lower-level cognitive objectives
 * 8) Monitor students’ understanding by offering regular appropriate feedback
 * 9) Integrate their instruction with that in other subject areas
 * 10) Accept responsibility for student outcomes
 * 11) Are thoughtful and reflective about their practice.

5. Six principles of long-term memory (BH)
Effort (including teaching metacognitive skills) Meaningfulness (use various elaboration strategies) Organization (help students see relationships) Familiarity (including use of analogies, metaphors) Active Rehearsal Emotion (affective, not just cognitive, learning)
 * EMOFARE**
 * Connect material to existing schemas
 * Use concept maps, webs, graphic organizers
 * Concepts on board everyday
 * Flash Cards/Games
 * Students explain to each other
 * Use music/rhyming
 * Draw on personal stories/experiences
 * Use poetry, fiction, etc.
 * Create dramatic situations for students to watch

12. Cooperative learning (MB)
Social Learning Target: No evidence that the teacher has expressed any social learning targets, nor is he evaluating any. In addition, the groups seem to be formed strangely. We saw a group of six, one of three, and one kid seemingly by himself.

1) Positive Interdependence: No evidence that the groups have assigned jobs other than "the kid at the computer."

2) Face-to-face promotive interaction: We saw, in general, good promotive interaction, even in a way the kid saying "Told You!"

3) Individual Accountability: No evidence that an individual will be accountable to the group nor individually evaluated in any way.

4) Interpersonal and small group skills: No evidence that the teacher is evaluating small group skills.

5) Group processing: No evidence that the group is evaluating their work.

13. Multicultural Ed (MB)
Five dimensions:

content integration - lesson support using examples from multiple cultures knowledge construction process - students understand how biases and perspectives influence the way they build their own knowledge prejudice reduction - lesson activities help students develop positive attitudes about other cultures equity pedagogy - teaching is modified so achievement of students of diverse backgrounds are facilitated empowering school culture and social structure - entire school culture is modified to enable diverse students to achieve equality

Viewed in the classroom example: Content - yes, students are studying African regions, which are diverse and varied. Perhaps some literature and cultural/human geographic material would fill it in even better. Banks' additive approach should be addressed in that the students should talk about the people and the cultures in each region. Banks' contribution approach should be addressed in that exemplars of each African culture should be highlighted.

Knowledge construction process - no, while the class appears to be culturally diverse, we see no evidence that they are challenged on their biases about what is important in choosing a place to live.

Prejudice reduction - perhaps. The data analysis is presented as value neutral, and their willingness to select a heavily Muslim, north African place to live indicates that they are not prejudiced about the people who live there. If they had chosen apartheid South Africa, it would have been interesting to see what the teacher says.

Equity pedagogy - somewhat yes. He calls on kids who appear to be a diverse section of the class. The kids questioned in the small groups are, again, assigned tasks not necessarily based on race.

Empowering school culture - no way to know. Have the students hold a racism and cultural awareness assembly for the whole school in light of the knowledge about Africa and its people.