YouTube videos

Final Presentation links:

http://youtu.be/NE07An52HJw
http://youtu.be/OClrOybRbOk

Final Presentation Topic

For my final presention I am going to video tape myself and the first grade class I work in doing our morning calender routine. 

Should teachers be paid based on student performance?

In my opinion, I do not feel that teachers pay should be based on their student’s performance.  I feel this way because there are a number of factors that contribute to reasons why some students perform better than others.  That does not mean that teachers are off the hook when it comes to educating the students.  Educators need to continue asking higher level thinking questions in order to keep their students engaged and challenged, even the students that struggle.  Although I feel that teachers pay should not be affected, it wouldn’t hurt to have some time of monitoring system in place for the teachers who repeatedly have lower test scores.

What makes an effective teacher is someone who is empathetic and understanding.  Being a teacher is not just about testing and teaching core subjects.  It involves being there and forming relationships with your students.  An effective teacher incorporated differentiated learning into their lessons in order to thoroughly educate every student.  They allow their students to question and explore and use their critical thinking skills to problem solve.  Finally, an effective teacher is someone who is there to model life’s lessons when no one else is. 

Teachers Unions and Tenure

Yes, I definitely feel that a reform is needed.  The teaching profession requires that teachers be flexible and knowledgeable when it comes to teaching in the 21^st century.  Unfortunately, many of these out-of-date teachers are not keeping up with the times, and because they are protected by tenure, they are not making an effort to get to know these new advances either.  When the students are showing teachers how to run technology equipment, there is a problem.  The question that should be asked is how are students being taught effectively when they are the ones teaching the teachers?!?

Extra-curricular balance

In order to effectively balance extra-curricular activities with our expectations in the elementary classrooms, there needs to be a precedent set on the importance of doing well academically.  Easier said than done…right?!  Setting up high academic expectations is not something one person can take on alone.  It takes a community of parents, educators, coaches, and administrators.  As a teacher, it is important to support the students with their extra-curricular activities; however, students also need to be held accountable when it comes to putting academics first.  Since many children go out for sports because they enjoy the challenge of the game, it is important to challenge them in the classroom as well.

Introduce Instruments..

Third grade is when children should be introduced to  recorders.  This grade/age would be good because of the specifics of finger placement when playing songs.  Although younger children would also be able to “play” different notes just for fun.  Kindergarten children would be able to perform a steady beat on the xylophone, but because of the eye/hand coordination involved with hitting the correct bars, a child in third grade would be best suited.  Rhythm sticks and cymbals can be introduced in kindergarten and up.  Children could perform steady hits with these sticks and cymbals since they are performing on unpitched instruments.  Lastly, kazoos  should be introduced around the ages of 5-7.  Kazoos will help children work on the pitch as they blow into the instrument. 

Carl Orff

Carl Orff was a German composer as well as an educator.  Orff had a distinct approach to music education.  His philosophy was to encourage all children to experience the different levels of music through their own level of understanding.  Children were able to learn in their natural environment of play.  He sought to educate the whole child through experience, exploration, and experiment.  Orff encouraged creativity through the student’s responses to rhythm, melody, and improvisation.  His approach could easily be carried over into the classroom where students could continuously grow through their personal, individual learning needs.