II.+Learning+Principle


 * //__2. LEARNING PRINCIPLE__//**


 * //2.1//** **//Candidates understand human development and how it is affected by context.//**

Human development is an important concept for education, especially in terms to how the context of students’ environments impacts that development. I have learned about human development in several classes at the Warner School. First, human development was addressed in my EDU 447, Disabilities in Schools class. One of the main topics of discussion in this class was about differentiated instruction inside an inclusion classroom. To begin with, an inclusion classroom is defined legally to be a setting that provides the least restrictive environment (Falvey & Givner, 2005). However, inclusion really has the purpose of promoting education for all, where each student in the classroom and citizen in the community is provided the opportunity to participate in and access the discourses of learning. “Segregated education creates a permanent underclass of students and conveys a strong message to those students that they do not measure up, fit in, or belong” (Falvey & Givner, 2005, 5). Differentiated instruction extends human development in inclusive contexts by recognizing “students varying background knowledge, readiness, language, preferences in learning, interests, and to react responsively” (Hall, 2002, 2). Differentiated instruction develops student capability sets, which can be aligned with social justice in order to develop more equitable communities (2.1a). An example of differentiated instruction that I have implemented in my teaching was during STARS. During this lesson we had the girls build a communal footprint of their daily impact on the environment, which was a great example of the inclusive nature of our environment. From this we had girls brainstorm what topics they were interested in investigating both through reflection in their journals and peer discussion. We then designed a testable question as a whole group using these interests and discussions (2.1b).

My ED 415 class was on Adolescent Development. My final reflective paper for this class highlights some of my key understandings in regards to transitioning, identity formations, youth culture, mentoring, youth-based organizations, and media (2.1c). From class we found that a major part of this stage of development is identity formation. Penuel and Werstsch (1995) say, “one of the important conflicts for individuals in identity formation is the degree to which their own cultural identity is nurtured by members of their own culture and how it is validated by others in the community” (p.87). This causes adolescent’s to become “preoccupied with what they appear to be in the eyes of others as compared with what they feel they are, and with the question of how to connect the roles and skills cultivated earlier with the ideal prototypes of the day” (Erikson, 1968, p.128). In order to support student development and incorporate these cultural contexts, teachers should plan lessons that allow students to explore and educate others about their cultures. The same STARS lesson as before is a perfect example of how to do this in a class setting. The girls were able to collectively build a daily impact that included their individual daily impacts on the environment. From this they were able to build a testable question that surrounded a topic of relevance to their daily lives, the use of chemicals (i.e. hair spray). This is both accepting of their cultural identity and promoting its incorporation into a scientific investigation to determine how that identity is impacted the environmental community surrounding them (2.1b).


 * //2.2//** **//Candidates understand that all students construct knowledge through active engagement in culturally valued activities and know what is appropriate for their students to learn, based on their age/grade level and the strengths, experiences and resources of their family/community background.//**

In terms of cultural worlds, we need to understand that many of our students my find themselves in underprivileged and oppressive environments. As teachers, and individuals who may have privilege, we need to develop opportunities for these students to learn, but learn in a way that is culturally relevant to them. Power relationships need to be desolved in order to allow a multicultural learning environment (Levine et al., 1995; Takaki, 1993). In a critical commentary from EDU 434 I mention that there is a “third space” where scientific knowledge and the knowledge from culture and society compete against each other (Barton, Tan, & Rivet, 2008, p. 73). This matches what we call social constructivism, where each individual’s everyday knowledge is brought into play with the academic scientific knowledge to create a perceived social reality (2.2a). On an individual basis students experience something known as conceptual change. My professional statement explains this as an active process where knowledge is built on top of prior knowledge to develop intelligible, plausible, and fruitful explanations in an improved conceptual model (2.2b). During EDU 486, we read a paper on the culture of power that emphasized how their is a culture of power surrounding science in schools, and another culture of science outside of schools, where one case study says he learned the most. By establishing critical investigations both inside school and outside school, we are allowing students to develop their own conceptual evaluations that align with the values and experiences in their lives (2.2c).


 * //2.3//** **//Candidates are able to provide learning experiences that take into consideration the students’ development level and draw on the strengths and resources available in students’ prior experiences, as well as the school, family, and community contexts in which they live.//**

During my placement at Wilson Commencement, I planned a lesson surrounding extrasolar planets, their detection, and habitable zones, which included a field trip to the University of Rochester Department of Astrophysics. During this planning I used Wilson Commencement’s free bus service to arrange for transportation to the University of Rochester, I planned directly with Dr. Judith Pipher, who presented a lecture on extrasolar planets and planetary detection, as well as a tour of the near-infrared detector laboratory, I coordinated with other teachers in the school about the field trip, and had students sign permission forms along with their parents (2.3a). Students previously had instruction on the topic of light, which I reintroduced in this lesson and connected to planetary detection methods as an introduction to the field trip. The extend of the understanding was made through the completion of a habitable planet, which required students to be able to say why their planet was habitable in terms of composition, size, distance from a star, orbital eccentricity, and also create a scaled model of their planets distance from the star and the size of the planet compared to the star (2.3b). One student found an article in the local newspaper that focused directly on what we were learning in class and brought it in to share with me and the class (2.3c). Students also were able to contribute their previous knowledge throughout by answering the essential questions of what is out there (referring to space), and how does it impact us?

For my Regents Physics class at Edison, I decided to provide an advanced and extended learning experience on electric circuits in my last few days. This learning experience had the students build household circuits, using pre-made electrical boxes as models. Students used worksheets that had pictures displaying the set-up of electrical wires and positioning of the switches and light bulbs around the box (2.3d). Students were able to incorporate their understanding of parallel circuits and explain how the circuits in homes are parallel circuits. Students were able to identify the importance of their learning of electric circuits to their everyday lives, as they realized that circuits in homes and buildings were designed using the science concepts they previously learned and investigated.

[|IMG_0979.JPG] [|IMG_0996.JPG] [|IMG_0989.JPG] || UR Astrophysics Field Trip Pictures || [|2010.04.01_-_Household_Circuit_Boxes_4_-_Turkett.JPG] [|2010.03.31 - Household Circuit Boxes (Regents) - Turkett.doc] || Household Electric Circuits ||
 * EVIDENCE**
 * **EVIDENCE #** || **EMBEDDED OR LINKED OBJECT** || **DESCRIPTION** ||
 * 2.1a || [[file:20090807-ED404CapabilityApproach-BTurkett.doc]] || ED 404 - Capability Approach ||
 * 2.1b || [[file:20091129-EDU434StarsAppendixALessonPlans-BTurkett.doc]] || Lesson 3 - STARS, Daily Footprint ||
 * 2.1c || [[file:20091210-AdolescenceFinalPaper-BTurkett.doc]] || ED 415 - Reflective Paper ||
 * 2.2a || [[file:20091004-CritSynth3-SciConstructivism-BTurkett.doc]] || EDU 434 Critical Synthesis - Social Construction ||
 * 2.2b || Professional Statement || Professional Statement ||
 * 2.2c || [[file:20090713-EDU486CritCom3-BTurkett.doc]] || EDU 486 Critical Commentary - Culture of Power ||
 * 2.3a || [|IMG_1003.JPG]
 * 2.3b || [[file:2010.01.05 - Extrasolar System Project.doc]] || Habitable Planet Assignment ||
 * 2.3c || [|2010.01_-_Student_Newspaper_Article_VK_-_Turkett.JPG] || Newspaper Clipping on Extrasolar Planet ||
 * 2.3d || [|2010.04.01_-_Household_Circuit_Boxes_9_-_Turkett.JPG]
 * //References//**

Barton, A., Tan, E., & Rivet, A. (2008). Creating hybrid spaces for engaging school science among urban middle school girls. //American Educational Research Journal//, //45//, 68-103.

Erikson, E. (1968). //Identity youth and crisis//. New York: W. W. Norton & Company, Inc.

Falver, M., & Givner, C. (2005). What is an inclusive school? In R. Villa & J. Thousand (Eds.), //Creating an Inclusive School//, pp. 1-11. Virginia: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development.

Hall, T. Differentiated instruction. //National Center on Assessing the General Curriculum// (Cooperative Agreement No. H324H990004).

Levine, D., Lowe, R., Peterson, B., & Tenorio, R. (1995). //Rethinking schools: Multiculturalism and antibias education//. New York, NY: The New York Press.

Penuel, W., & Werstsch, J. (1995). Vygotsky and identity formation: A sociocultural approach. //Educational Psychologist//, //30//(2), 83-92.

Takaki, R. (1993). Multiculturalism: Battleground or meeting ground? //Annals of the American Academy of Political and Social Science//, //530//, 109-121.

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