The five branches of the philosophy of education I find very interesting and helpful. I believe from hearing about them, that if I was a teacher and I would accept these ideas you could really benefit from it. Just going into the situation knowing that everyone is going to be different and a lot of the students are not going to be thinking along the same lines as we are. This helps to accomadate those students and make them feel as though they fit in with everyone more even if they may not. I know that from my experiences in the field of observation, both the school and the team I have been interacting with know the importance of letting people be a little different as well as embracing the cultures that may be represented. I was very impressed with what steps they have taken to not try and promote one language as the way to go when there is a good chance that not all of the kids are speaking that language when they leave the school and go home at night. Another way these five branches have been helpful is for me and thinking about the girls I have been coaching. I think these things and ideas can be used in that context as well because you would know going into the situation that the girls are not going to all come from the same background or have the same home life that I did or am used to. I also would have to think about the idea that softball may not mean the same thing to these girls when they are 11 and 12 as it does to me now at age 19. I have been through more experiences which have shaped my thoughts and feelings about things which they have not encountered yet, but with using these branches I would have a better idea of what I should and maybe should not do because of what the girls may be thinking at the time. I think if people would really think about all the ideas and try and use them in their every day life it would help to solve some of the problems that are faced when differences are involved.

In the readings that we were to do for tomorrows class, I was honestly not surprised with the facts and figures that were given in these chapters. I feel bad saying that it is what I was expecting, but from my own experiences in different years in school it is what I have been exposed to in my situation. One part that really stuck out to me was when the authors were talking about the importance that is placed on standardized testing. I know from being in a house with a teacher, that they are expected to stop teaching their information to focus on what will be on the tests because it is up to those scores that the school is based on. I think that this is a shame to base what students know and what they can do with just a test which some are going to be better at taking than others. I remember back to my junior year in high school when we have to take the ACT one day at school and how much emphasize was placed on doing well and how our futures depended on the scores that we recieved. It was so important that part of the school was closed off just for us to take the test away from everyone else, we had special schedules, and were very watched to make sure that we werent where we shouldnt be and not interacting with those not taking the test. I feel looking back on it that it is ridiculous to have so much pressure and to-do about it when colleges are not even looking at it as much and it is not as big of a deal as it once was. I think that standardized tests should not decided a lot for a student as well as the school because there may be some very smart student who doesnt do well with testing, but could be very bright. I wish that it would be more downplayed so that students dont feel as much pressure and that they have to do well or else.

In the time I was there observing today, I did some grading as well as a little interacting with the students. However, as I was walking through the hallways to come and go, I was looking at the bulletin boards and posters throughout the school. I thought it was interesting how a lot of them were in other languages and not just in english. There were a variety ranging from spanish, to german, to french. I thought this was interesting after our discussions about how some students and families feel deculturalized by coming to the United States because they are forced to learn another language and leave their old one behind. I dont know if I would have even picked up on this fact if it wasnt for just talking about it and thinking about it. Because I was aware of those thoughts and how some people feel, I thought it was a cool thing. It shows that they are trying to have that commonality between home and school for those students who dont necessarily speak english as their first language. Plus, it also allows for those who are not usually around it to be exposed to something new and different which is a good thing in this case. I think it has been very interesting to see the ideas that we have talked about in class actually being used and demonstrated in a school. I wish that my junior high would have done some of these things to show what some may be used to and showing that not everyone is the same and there are some with diffenent backgrounds. I know that teachers and people can say that all they want to, but until it is shown it does not usually mean as much. However, with kids of this age, I know from experience, they are going to learn better when they see it than when they just hear it.

This time at observing I was able to walk around and interacting with the students more than any other time. One of the activities was they got to rotate partners and share different parts of a story which they are starting to write about an important event that has happened in their lives. When I thought about my times in junior high and how the activities I enjoyed the most were ones when I was able to bring in stories from my life outside of the classroom because it made things more personal and easier to write about. Also, when you hear others talk about their experiences, you will be able to relate to them more and realize that you may have more things in common with them than you knew. These were always the things in school that I enjoyed the most rather than the same things which many of the teachers did. I enjoy getting to know the students more as I spend more time with them. I also was given my case study student and am very excited to spend more time with the kid one on one learning about them and their background.

Class today was interesting to me to get to hear everyones thoughts about the public, and private, school systems in addition to what they felt about those in the minority who were trying to get educated as well. I do believe that no matter which system you went through or what your ethnicity is, it all depends on where you went. Your situation and experiences is what determines what you are going to feel towards the system. I had a good experience with the public school that I went to, but on the other hand, my parents both attended a private school and had good experiences with that as well. However, it was a personal choice to stay in the public system and I am glad that I did. I do feel that people from all backgrounds and cultures should be allowed to go and get a good education from a quality school. In addition to that, they should not be discriminated against and not be may forced to change their beliefs and background to fit in with the rest of the world around them. One of my friends is from a half Mexican family and becuase of where they live and the school around them, the children dont really know how to speak their fathers native language like they would have been thought to. I think this is very interesting and sad because they should be able to be have both of the familys culture in the same house. It is fun for me to hear about others and how they feel about the issues because I know that they all come from different backgrounds and experiences and so they will think about things in another way than me.

I thought that class today was so helpful and helped me to start thinking more along the lines as an educator. I feel I am getting more and more ideas for my paper and that there are so many things that go into being a good teacher and you have to think about so many different things that I dont think many people think about when they are talking about teachers. With all the things we have been talking about in addition to my observing, it is almost making me want to become a teacher! When in class we were talking about relating ideas to the kids and finding things that they are familiar with, I thought back to my AP spanish class from my senior year. My teacher was one who was always up for new things and ways to get the lessons across with out just standing up in front of the room and lecturing every day. I remember this one project in particular because we were to pick something that is familiar to us and that we like to do. Of course I chose something with softball and one of my good friends did as well and so we got to tell the class some things about what we like to do in our own way and demonstrate things about softball which is so important to us. Even though we were talking in spanish and it was hard, it gave us a chance to express ourselves and do something that we felt comfortable with. This kind of thing is what I am going to take with me and remember the most as being the most effective because I know how much all the kids enjoyed the project and how effective it was. I use these kind of experiences to realize there are teachers who care and want things to be fun and new and that these are the kinds of things that make school fun again.

Today was by far my favorite of the three days I have done to observe. I was able to work with one chosen student who needs a little bit more help and also go around to different groups while they were working and listen to them do the activities. Also, I got my first experience with channel one and I think that this is a great concept and could really be good for everyone to have because it can keep the students informed on what is going on in the "real" world. While this was taking place I was able to help some students on a project and with things they were struggling with. I love the idea of getting to interact with the kids and help them. This was my first experience with this group of kids and seeing them in a more regular schedule due to the testing time being over for right now. I know that as I get to know the students more I will get to help them and learn more about what their thoughts are on various topics. I also enjoy watching the teacher because I think she is a great example on what to do because she has a variety of activities for them to do related to what they are learning about, which helps accomadate for the idea that all of the kids learn things in different ways and need some help in certain areas more than others. I think that observing will teach me a lot and I feel I am very lucky to have signed up with such a great example.

My second field experience was much more enjoyable than the first one that I went on because I was able to work with more kids and get to interact with them more. I was able to sit next to one children that was chosen by my teacher and got to learn about them and help them with the work they were doing. This was a time when I got to see more about how the kids interact usually because they were able to have more time to work on their own. I am looking forward to getting to work with them next week when they are more into their regular schedule because testing is done. They are sure full of energy and love to answer questions and interact with the teacher. It is great to see how well she works with her students and how much they respect her. I feel she is a great example on how to teach in a good way and do a great job.

My first field experience was a lot like I thought it was going to be. Growing up around a teacher, and coaching the same age, I had an idea of how they were going to act. I was very impressed to watch them walk down the hallway in a orderly manner instead of being a mass amount of yelling and screaming at everyone. I got to learn about the block scheduling system that they use which was something that I have never been around before, but I do think that it is an interesting idea. They also have a system with A and B days so that they do not go to the same classes everyday which gives them the chance to have some differences and not get bored with the same things. I was very impressed with my teacher and how she handled different situations she was dealing with and that she had some ideas of how to teach and help kids learn which would reach out to more than one style of learning. I am excited to go again when they are not involved with testing for the majority of the day.

I thought that the three articles were all interesting and give a view on what schools and education should be more like. I agree with the idea that school should be a branch off of the home life and all students should feel comfortable in the classroom setting no matter what kind of background they came from. Even if they are not all the same, it is ok to let the kids have their thoughts and encourage the idea that people are not all the same and can come from a variety of places....and its ok! I also feel that it is important to pull from a variety of aspects of life and incorporate as much as possible into the lessons, no matter what subject is trying to be taught. Students should be able to express their opinions (in the right way), have their own ideas, and ask questions when they need to, and not be instructed to sit quietly for the entire time they are in the room. No one kid is goign to learn in the exact same way and it is important to try new things and see what works best for the student. We need to look at each person as an indiviudal and know that everyone learns differently, and respect that. I also agree that we should do more in classes than be lectured at for a period of time, be expected to memorize it and then later reguritate it on an exam and really be tested on how much we can remember, not how much they truly know. I think that all three of the articles were very good and all had their share of good points that need to be heard from edcuators to help the students they are interacting with and teaching.

After seeing what all goes on at the junior high and watching the kids have a passing period it reminded me somewhat of what I went through when I was that age. The amount of security I encountered was much higher than when I was in my school, which does make me feel better knowing that I am in a safe enviornment. The lines that each of the classes made when they were going to the next class was much different than what I expected. However, we did get in the middle of a grade that was exactly what I thought would happen and reassured me that I was in a junior high. I think that this is a great age and that even though it is different from what I am used to, it will be a great experience.

Going into the field placement I wasnt quite sure what to think. Knowing that I was not going to be in the classroom for a living made me uneasy about what to think. Also, with growing up in this town, I have heard things about the school from different people and had some of my own thoughts. However, after visiting there and watching some of the kids, I realized that not everything I had heard was correct. The kids walked from class to class in a nice single file line and were as quiet as they were going to be for their age. I was also impressed with all the security that was around to make everyone feel very safe and comfortable. After talking in class and getting to see the school and see what I would be involved with makes me excited to observe, especially because of the love I have for kids and getting to spend time around them.

The reason that I am interested in education is because I want to be a child life specialist so I need to know as much about children as I possibly can so that I can do a good job. I think it is fun to work with kids from the chances I have had to work with a variety of ages in different situations. After I found out about this profession I got very interested in learning more about it as well as taking a variety of education classes to learn about children that I will be helping in the future.