Stress on Students

Clark, Claire H., David C. Spendlove, and Neal A. Whitman. “How Does Learning Affect Stress?” Increasing Students' Learning” A Faculty Guide to Reducing Stress Among Students. Washington D.C.: ASHE, 1986, pg.9-16.

Summary:

This chapter focuses on the importance of understanding “...what stress is and how it affects learning.” (9) Stress can manifest itself I many different forms depending upon the person. It is important to understand these forms so that you can tell if a person is acting a certain way due to stress. Overall, stress is defined as “...person-environment model...”, meaning that there is a clash between the person and his or her environment. (11) It is also important to recognize that “a situation that is stressful for one person might not be stressful for another.” (11) This is highly determined by the “meaning” given to the environment and situation that is occurring within that environment. Thus, it is important that people have the skills to deal with their stressors so that they do not become “destructive”. Teachers have help students deal with their respective stressors by providing them with specific “...information, feedback, and control.”(15) In other words, allowing students to know what is expected of them in advance so they do not feel the pressure of time and providing them with specific feedback on their work that explicitly states what they need to do in order to improve.

This chapter made me rethink how I view the actions of students within my classroom. Many times, I do not attribute stress as a reason for the way a student is acting. Also, it made me realize that there are little things I can do in order to help lessen the stress of my students such as give them a reasonable timeline for work completion and not assigning work at the beginning of the period that is due at the end without forewarning.

Quotes:

-“An individual might acknowledge experiencing stress but have any number of reactions to it- anger, fatigue, anxiety, fear, depression, or boredom.” (10)

-“Recognizing and understanding students' reactions to stress will help faculty not take personally what is often self-defeating behavior on the part of the students.” (16)

-“Information, feedback, and control are vital in reducing destructive forms of stress (Seligman 1975) that lead to an intense sense of helplessness and failure.” (15)

-“Students must have explicit information about what is expected of them and receive relevant feedback about performance so that they can control their learning experience to improve performance.” (15)

Making writing enjoyable

Shelton-Colangelo, Sharon. “Joy in the Classroom.” Teaching with Joy: Educational Practices for the Twenty-First Century. New York: Rowman & Littlefielf Publishers, Inc. 2007, pp.109-114.

Summary:

Sharon Shelton-Colangelo provides an insight into how she makes writing more enjoyable, engaging, and stress free for her students. By breaking the writing into a developmental process for the students with feedback given in a similar manner. With these assignments, she allows her students to complete them outside in nature and as an active observer of nature. This allows them to experience nature and have a less confining writing environment by being in the environment they are writing about. In addition, she briefly explains how she is able to do this, her process.

Though I enjoy and agree with most of her points, the data she provides leaves me a little skeptical. In particular, when she is talking about how she makes the writing assignments for her students “...to be with the moment...” and states that “all learners enjoy the assignments.” (110) I can understand that most might but all? Also, the successful of these assignments are explained in vague terms with no real concrete data supplied to back up the statement.

Quotes:

-“So if we who have embraced the profession of education can reawaken in students the unselfconscious pleasure that most preschoolers feel as they explore language and their surroundings with curiosity and a sense of play, we can help them grow as writers, as thinkers, and as people.” (110)

-“When learners have difficulties, it is often in fact the teacher who feels the most frustrated and unfulfilled; yet when true learning takes place, we all benefit.” (110)

yoga breathing to reduce stress

Counihan, Beth. “Using Hatha Yoga Breathing Assignments: An Essai” Teaching with Joy: Educational Practices for the Twenty-First Century. New York: Rowman & Littlefielf Publishers, Inc. 2007, pp.25-28.

Summary:

In this article, Beth Counihan explains how yoga methods can help reduce stress before students begin an essay. She expresses that students almost always feel some sort of anxiety before starting a written piece. In order to lessen this stress and anxiety, she has started having her students do a yoga meditation to clear their minds and feel centered before they being writing. She even takes you through the exact steps she uses before students begin writing an essay to allow you to feel the calmness she tries to create before an essai begins. Though this is a great introduction as to why meditation can't hurt and one way a teacher could employ it, no factual evidence is given. She even expresses that she has been hesitant in using it herself. She does not cite any specific studies or research to explain why she started using meditation or how effective it has been in her college course. In short, it is just an overview of how she is starting to use yoga breathing in the college level courses she teaches.

Quotes:

-“I am well aware that it can take years of work to achieve fluency in Standard Written American English, but since all aspects of writing bring anxiety to students anyway, Hatha yogaasanas work to reduce that stress.” (26)

-“In the past few semesters, I have introduced various asanas as talk in the class always comes back to writing fears and anxieties.” (26)

kinesthetic learning

Mancuso, Carolina. “Bodies in the Classroom.” Teaching with Joy: Educational Practices for the Twenty-First Century. New York: Rowman & Littlefielf Publishers, Inc. 2007, pp.13-20.

Summary:

This article by Carolina Mancuso touches on why there should be an “...active engagement of the body in learning.”(14) She explains how the research done by Gendlin, Henderson, and Spolin lead her to “...holistic mind, body, and spirit teaching and learning...”(17) In these summaries she explains how the body needs to be active in order for the mind to remember and hold on to those memories. By having minimal movement in the class, it constricts the student's ability to feel comfortable learning. These movements do not have to be huge but should occur through out the class period. It can be anything from walking around the classroom to remembering how our bodies were at different ages so that students can become aware of their own bodies/physiology. Mancuso gives great examples of how she has used these methods in her own classroom through activities such as drama-in-the-classroom or bodywork sessions. These activities are detailed so that you can actually repeat them yourself. She also explains how there may be resistance from students and it is important to respect their right to refuse to participate in the activity.

I found this article very enlightening on why holistic education is important for students. Mancuso did not go into detail about how these methods have impacted her students or if they full embraced it. Thus, this article is not helpful in collecting specific study data. However, the article provided me with many sources to explore so I can bring these methods into my own classroom. Thus it was a great jumping off point as to which experts to consult about mind and body learning in addition to how to begin using these methods.

Quotes:

-“Most of us, teachers and students alike, have been steeped in 'mind-only' schooling all our lives.” (14)

-“This standpoint recognizes the lack of attention to the whole person in most schooling and the ensuing emphasis on the cognitive, which contributes greatly to dysfunctional aspects of our society.” (14)

-“The knowledge our bodies carry may not be readily accessible to us because, in general, we do not receive instruction on reading our bodies, and if any, far less than in reading our minds or emotions.” (19)

From Technophobes to Tech Believers

Fox, Christine (2007) From Technophobes to tech believers. T.H.E. Journal, 34(7), 36-37

Summary:
In this concise article Christine Fox highlights the importance of sustained professional development in educational communities, such as school districts, to bring us up to speed with the digital age. Traditional professional development, what Fox refers to as "Saturday standalone workshops" will hardly make a dent in giving teachers the tools to become tech believers. Based on the research of Glenn Kleiman's "Meeting the Need for High Quality Teachers:e-Learning Solutions" Fox points out the key features of effective professional development and gives examples of two districts that have implemented such.

Reflection:
I found this article in the reference list of another article, "Electronic Portfolios as Catalysts for Change in the Summer Institute", that was sent to me by the National Writing Project. The title of this article caught my attention because in no way do I feel confident in technology. Although I use the computer daily, I do not feel "savvy." Although this article does not directly link with the action research question I am currently entertaining (How can technology help students make connections in writing/history?), the main idea, professional development, is paramount to the i21 technology teachers will be receiving. The 6th grade teachers received the technology this year, and a half day of training was offered. The teachers have been pretty much left to learn it on their own and fend for themselves. It has been reported that one teacher still has not pulled his students' netbooks out of the cart. How can we be expected as professionals to embrace the digital age, when little time and training are allocated to us? This was one issue that my living resource, Jennifer Andrade, our school sites tech, and I discussed last week. We are devising a plan to present to our principal to coordinate an August, pre-school technology retreat.

The Educated Blogger: Using Weblogs to Promote Literacy in the Classroom

Huffaker, D. (2005). The educated blogger: Using weblogs to promote
literacy in the classroom. AACE Journal, 13(2), 91-98.

Summary:
In the article, The Educated Blogger: Using Weblogs to Promote Literacy in the Classroom, Huffaker “explores the role of weblogs in promoting literacy in classroom settings.” Research finds that roughly half of those in the blogosphere are under the age of 20. With this in mind, Huffaker proposes that “blogs can be an important addition to educational technology initiatives because they promote literacy through storytelling, allow collaborative learning, provide anytime-anywhere access, and remain fungible across academic disciplines.” In deeper examination of each point then follows.

Reflection:
This article was great for someone like me, a “newbie” to the blogosphere. As a teacher on the verge of receiving the i21 technology that will equip each one of my students with a netbook, this article caused me to reflect upon the power blogs have to foster both verbal and digital literacy. I began wondering, “Will the writer’s notebooks my students have used for the last 20 years. the pencil and paper, be replaced with keyboard and blog next year?” I love the idea that “blogs provide an arena where self-expression and creativity is encouraged. Its linkages to other bloggers establish the same peer-group relationships found in nonvirtual worlds. Its “underdetermined” design, where a system is engaging, yet intuitive and easy to learn Cassell, 2002), makes it equitable for many age groups and both genders, and simple for teachers to implement. Being situated within the Internet allows bloggers to access their blogs anywhere and anytime an Internet connection is available.”

Interactions for Peace Primary Peacemakers Program

Steele, E. and Pesavento, K. (2002). Interactions for Peace: Primary Peacemakers Program. Torrance, California: Jalmar Press.

Summary:

This book is a guide for implementing the Interactions for Peace Program into a classroom. The goal is to provide a seamless system of integrated programs that empower and inspire kids to be peacemakers and serve their community through peaceful interactions. There are five elements of the program: Self-awareness and Worth; Cooperation; Communication; Conflict Resolution; and Parent and Community Connections. The entire program is broken up into sections based on ages.

The Primary Peacemakers........Preschool-Second Grade

The Peace Patrol......................Third Grade-Fifth or Sixth Grade

Middle School Mediators...........Sixth Grade-Eighth Grade

Peer Listeners...........................Sixth Grade-Eighth Grade

Bully Prevention........................Fourth Grade-Eighth Grade

Evaluation:

This is a great program. I can not wait to implement it into my classroom. I am going to try out parts of it this year with my class so I can get a feel for the material but really focus on my student’s next year. After reading this book I now have a program that was meant to work with my students. Everything I have researched thus far has been mostly geared towards middle and high school students. This step by step guide will give me great activities to try with my students. They will then take what they have learned in my classroom and build upon those skills when they graduate into Peace Patrol.

Reflection:

I have chosen to focus on The Primary Peacemakers. Teaching kindergarten I have a real opportunity to set the foundation of our school. I want to have all students thinking about peace on a daily basis. I want my young students to become the leaders of our school.

Quotes:

“The spirit of cooperation - not working on something together but working together on something.” (10)

“Know peace, no violence.”

Increasing Meta-Cognitive Competence Through Conflict Resolution

Heydenberk, R. A. and Heydenberk, W. R. (2005). Increasing Meta-Cognitive Competence through Conflict Resolution. Education and Urban Society. DOI: 10.1177/00131245050277747

Summary/Analysis:

This is an article about how children resolve conflicts and the benefits of learning in an integrated conflict resolution program. The first half of the article was mostly research. It provided wonderful information about conflict resolution but not really how to implement it. The authors just said that it needs to be integrated into the core curriculum. The first half also gave some results. The results from the study are exactly what I’m looking to find in my own research. The authors discussed one of the most import aspects of conflict resolution is seeing things from the other person’s perspective. This may be one of the most important parts of CR but it is also the most challenging parts for little kids.

The second half of the article is the study. The authors wanted to “investigate the changes in student’s meta-cognitive competencies as a result of their conflict resolution skill development.” Their hypothesis was: “Conflict resolution skill and related social skill development will positively affect use of meta-cognitive strategies.” This half of the article provides the reader with the location and the demographic of the study. The sample was composed of fourth and fifth graders from Philadelphia School District and a neighboring urban school district. All students participated in the Peace Center’s training called Peace Project. There were two instruments used to test the study’s hypothesis. The first was a modified form of the Student’s Attitudes About Conflict (SAAC) and the second was the Meta-Cognition Scale. The results between the pre and post test showed no significant change so the hypothesis was accepted.

Quotes:

“The creation of conflict resolution programs in American schools has been the primary attempt to curb violence and antisocial behavior in our classrooms.” (431)

“Comprehensive conflict resolution programs require students to engage in social communication strategies such as active listening, paraphrasing, brainstorming, questioning for clarity, and the development of affective vocabulary. In a comprehensive conflict resolution program, these strategies are embedded in the curriculum and practiced throughout the day.” (432)

“Although positive behavioral charges are the primary goal of conflict resolution programs, improved academic performance often occurs when conflict resolution skills are integrated into content areas.” (433)

“Very simply, students who control negative affective reactions to failure and who persist in trying to solve problems achieve more than those who tend to become emotionally upset. Although the link between social and academic problem solving is not well understood it appears that the ability to control negative emotional reactions to failure may contribute to both socially and academically competent outcomes.” (434)

“Rather than focusing on a superficial, polarized, right-or-wrong response, students broaden their perspectives and begin to synthesize new solutions, a skill that characterizes higher level thinking in both social and academic domains.” (439)

Creating Fluent Readers

Rasinski, T.V. (2004) Creating Fluent Readers. Educational Leadership, March 2004, 46-51.

Summary:
In this article, Timothy Rasinski looks at the importance of reading fluency in student reading success. He points to three dimensions of reading; processing the text, comprehending the text, and reading fluency. Within fluency, there are three dimensions. They are accuracy in word decoding, automatic processing, and prosodic reading. Examples of assessing reading fluency are provided which will enable the teacher to accurately instruct students on the aspect with which they need assistance.

Two methods to increase reading fluency often used by Rasinski are assisted reading and repeated reading, which both have been shown through research to improve reading fluency. By assisted readings, he means having students listen and follow along as he reads aloud, then reading aloud together, reading with a partner either at their level or a fluent reader with a struggling reader, or by following along while listening to a passage on tape.

Rasinski notes that repeated readings can lead to both improvement in reading, but also to improvement in decoding, reading rate, prosodic reading, and comprehension, as proven in research. He states poetry, scripts, speeches, monologues, dialogues, jokes and riddles are perfect for developing fluency.

Besides providing the avenues of repeated readings, teachers also play a key role by coaching (discussing oral interpretations) the students as they perform. Giving students feedback is important in moving readers towards a deeper level of interpretation and meaning.

One pitfall Rasinski sees with assessing reading fluency is when teachers emphasize accuracy over meaning. Speed is often valued more over the prosodic and meaningful reading. He feels reading rate will improve as the students become better decoders through repeated readings.


Quotations:
“ … reading fluency has taken a front seat in discussions about student reading success and effective instruction in reading.”

“Developing fluency in reading requires practice; this is where the method of repeated readings comes in.” (48)

“… existing scientific research on reading fluency indicates that it is an important factor in reading education and thus should be part of any comprehensive and effective reading curriculum.” (50)

Effects of Repeated Reading and Listening-While-Reading on Reading Fluency

Rasinski, T.V. (1990). Effects of Repeated Reading and Listening-While-Reading on Reading Fluency. Journal of Educational Research, 83(3), 147-150.

This article looks at the effects of repeated readings and listening-while-reading on reading fluency. The effectiveness of these two approaches was compared in a third grade classroom. In repeated readings learners practice reading the same text over and over until an expected level of fluency is achieved. Not only does this help with the passage they are reading, but also the fluency tends to transfer to previously unread text.

Another technique that can be used to increase reading fluency is repeated listening-while-reading texts. Readers read while listening to a fluent rendition of the same text. The use of both these techniques may be more effective then using one alone.

In his study 20 students were chosen from several elementary schools. They were paired with students of equal reading ability and represented high, average, and low reading abilities. Fourth grader reading passages were used and contained 100 words. A pretest was given, and then the students went through a cycle of repeated readings for four days and then listening-while-reading for four days. A posttest was given after each cycle. No difference was found for the rate of accuracy in either case. Both had a positive impact on the reader’s reading fluency and are effective in promoting reading fluency.

Conclusion:
While there was an increase in reading fluency using these two methods of rereading and listening-while-reading, there are some limitations. Students may lose interest and motivation of previously read passages. Therefore, these are great strategies to use in the classroom, but need to be combined with other strategies and integrated into the curriculum.

Quotes:
“The development of reading fluency in students is considered an important goal of reading instruction.” (147)

“…gains in fluency made through the repeated readings of one text are transferred to new, previously unread texts is critical to the methods of repeated readings.” (147)

“Repeated reading and repeated listening-while-reading activities may be appropriate not only for average and above-average readers but also for those experiencing difficulty in learning to read.” (149-150)

Two Essential Ingredients: Phonics and Fluency Getting to Know Each Other

Rasinski T.V., Rupley, W.H., Nichols, W.D. (2008). Two Essential Ingredients: Phonics and Fluency Getting to Know Each Other, The Reading Teacher, 62(3), 257-260. DOI:10.1598/RT.62.3.7

Summary:
The authors believe that phonics and fluency are two main ingredients in teaching reading. That together they provide a powerful tool for increasing comprehension and reading achievement. While often considered distinct, the authors believe that they should be combined during the reading process. Rhyming poetry is seen as one answer. Using word families (rimes) readers are able to apply their knowledge to other words with the same spelling pattern. These patterns are then generalized to other identical spelling patterns and increase their ability to decode words. Since repeated readings have been shown to increase word recognition, fluency, and comprehension, poetry is a natural choice. They are usually short, rhythmic, and fun.

Instructions on how to teach using poetry to spice up phonics and reading instruction are included. Beginning with identifying the word family, working with the word family, and follow-up activities. Poetry is seen as a positive way to allow students to “develop mastery of the word families both in and out of context, and it promotes fluency through repeated and assisted readings.” (259)

Quotes:
“How should they be taught in ways that are natural, authentic, synergistic, effective, and engaging?” (257)

“An abundance of evidence has shown that students engaged in repeated readings are more accurate in their word recognition, read more rapidly with expression and comprehension, and are more confident as readers.” (258)

“What kinds of activities are best suited for engaging students in purposeful reasons to participate eagerly in repeated readings or rehearsal? One answer is to perform for an audience.” (258)

“Both repeated oral reading of texts (rehearsal) and teachers modeling fluent reading – and supporting students while reading orally by reading with them – have been identified as key methods for teaching reading fluency.” (258)

“Moreover, research has begun to show that the use of rhyming poetry on a regular basis, whether in school or at home, can have a significant and positive impact on students’ word recognition and reading fluency.” (259)

Digital storytelling:extending the potential for struggling writers

Sylvester, Ruth, and Wendy-lou Greenidge. "Digital storytelling: extending the potential for struggling writers: digital technologies can motivate struggling writers and scaffold understanding of traditional literacy." The Reading Teacher 63.4 (Dec 2009): 284(12). Educators 200 Collection. Gale. San Diego Public Library. 6 Apr. 2010

Summary: The authors show case studies which connect the process of digital storytelling to motivating students who are struggling writers. They describe cases where students who don't like to revise and edit their work, find more motivation to do so if confronted with the possibility of a larger audience viewing their work, as well as those students who struggle to add detail in their writing who are motivated to once they go through storyboarding their story. They find as well that students who view themselves as struggling, end up showing in their digital stories competency in writing skills. They set their findings around the basis that students are experiencing multiliteracies: visual, media, technological and information in addition to traditional literacy. Their study concludes that through new media literacies, struggling students can become more motivated writers using the digital storytelling model.
Reflection:
The difference from this article and their top reference article, which I annotated earlier by Banaszewski, is that this study is much more sterile. The case studies are worth reading, yet the motivation factor was much more apparent in the work of Banaszewski because he spoke from the heart, from direct experience, and had student voices apparent in the writing. He explains the process and reflects upon it, whereas the research in this article is presented in less personal manner. The findings show an interesting connection between motivating writers and digital storytelling which interests me as I pursue my own questions.
Quotes:
"Creating digital stories invites students to employ old and new literacies, and through the process of creating a movie they erect, explore, and exhibit other literacies."

" When a digital story is composed to be viewed by others, it promotes the writer's awareness of audience, purpose, and form, and awareness not always demonstrated by less capable writers."

"Digital storytelling has the capacity to not only motivate struggling writers as they experience the enjoyment of creating stories enhanced by multimedia, but also to reposition themselves from struggling writers to competent writers."

Digital storytelling finds its place in the classroom

Banaszewski, Tom. "Digital storytelling finds its place in the classroom." MultiMedia Schools Jan/Feb 2002: 32.

Summary:
Tom Banaszewski is a fourth and fifth grade teacher and multimedia author writing about his experience and offering insight into the process of a digital storytelling project, called the Place Project.
This article chronicles the journey he and his students made in the arduous process of telling stories about places that were meaningful to them. It took him 6 months to produce 30 stories using IMovie and parent volunteers to record student voiceovers, but it was a project that helped his students become motivated writers.
He outlines the process and offers tips on how to structure the project for other educators, as well as including reflections from students and his own as a teacher. He places emphasis on the storytelling process and describes this as the real engine for the project, where technology is the gas to get you to the final destination of a beautifully told story.

Reflection: It really assured me that digital storytelling is really teaching movie making, from writing to production to editing the final piece. The story of another educator and his trials and tribulations of dealing with 24 students,technology, and teaching writing, really made me pause and appreciate that it is not easy and a true challenge for anyone who enters it. I feel better knowing that someone out there is letting other educators know that managing a classroom full of students making movies is not an easy job! The Place project intrigues me with it's applicability to any classroom. It'd be a great project! This article also corroborates the evidence linking student motivation with writing to digital storytelling.

Quotes:

"Nothing is foolproof, but I have yet to find anything as motivating and influential on students' self-expression as helping them tell stories about an important place."

"The Place Project demonstrated how technology can be instrumental in the perennial student struggle to find voice, confidence, and structure in their writing."

"The teacher must surrender a great deal of control in embarking on digital storytelling with students."

How digital storytelling builds 21st century skills

Czarnecki, Kelly. "Chapter 3: How digital storytelling builds 21st century skills." Library Technology Reports 45.7 (Oct 2009): 15(5). Educators 200 Collection. Gale

Summary:
As part of a multi-chapter series in the publication, Library Technology Reports, Czarnecki describes the qualities of digital storytelling that make students ready to build 21st century skills applicable to any curricula. Highlighting the ISTE (International Society for Technology in Education) standards, Czarnecki goes to show how digital storytelling satisfies each one:
-creativity and innovation
-communication and collaboration
-research and information fluency
-critical thinking, problem solving, and decision making
-digital citizenship
-technology operations and concepts
In satisfying these standards through digital storytelling, Czarnecki shows how students will be better prepared to join the 21st century workforce, which according to the 1999 Department of Education report called for a more technologically-oriented workforce equipped with basic, technology, creative and problem solving skills. The article also features a digital storytelling project in the Scott County schools in partnership with the county library and how digital storytelling created the bridge between the schools and the community.

Reflection:
This article really opened my eyes to the changing role of libraries in the community. I've seen how librarians are now considered in many places to be new media specialists and library media technicians, and it is no wonder why when there are more and more libraries opening their doors to digital storytelling project collaborations. This led me to research further the Scott County schools project and it was interesting to find out that it's been almost a decade since digital storytelling has been developing and practiced in schools. It makes me more aware of a growing sense of digital storytelling, becoming almost a social necessity for our need to express real human stories.

Quotes:
"Digital storytelling, like traditional storytelling, is an exercise in communication and a creative process that requires participants to visualize and use their imaginations."

"By creating a video as the end result, participants had to use critical thinking and problem solving in order to convey a coherent message."

"By using digital media to research a serious issue and then convey messages about it to other people, the students participated in a commendable act of teaching and awareness-raising."

Making History Mine

Cooper, S. (2009) Making history mine: meaningful connections for grades 5-9, Maine:Stenhouse

Summary:
In Making History Mine: Meaningful Connections for Grades 5-9, secondary school English and history teacher, Sarah Cooper, provides a framework and strategies for making history personal and bringing it to life for students. As a teacher, Cooper begins with the goal of knowing her students and finding personal connections through meaningful history assignments. The framework from which she builds curriculum revolves around:
1. The Role of the Individual: Assessing Who Makes History
2. How Opinions Become History: Analyzing Point of View
3. Fighting Words: Examining Rhetoric, Reasoning and the Role of Language in History
4. A Broader View: Finding Patterns in the Past
5. How Historians Think: Writing as a Way of Understanding
6. Current Events: Connecting Past to Present
7. The Power of Information: Igniting Passion Through Research
8. Global Citizenship: Learning to Evaluate Ethics and Solve Problems

Each chapter examines one of these standards and provides skills and strategies using examples from world and U.S history.

Analysis/Reflection
Sarah Cooper's knowledge of the adolescent mind is apparent from the very first page of her book. In the introduction she writes, "In all teaching, but especially the identity-forming crucible of middle school, the student is as important as the material." Love this! I believe that her experience teaching both middle and high school and her passion for her students and the subjects she teachers make this resource highly credible. As I read, I highlight and take copious notes. I know that I will be referring back to this text time and time again.

Quotes:
"Can we proble more of the mysteries and the miseries of global cultures and still prime our students' passion for activism and their hope for the future? Yes, we can. The solution, I believe, lies in the search for meaning through personal connections to history."

"You will all make history."

"Teachers can build students' understanding by forging strong, personal ties to the curriculum."

"Entering the minds of real figures from history is one of the most interesting ways to board a time machine to the past."

"History is really a form of glorified gossip."

Creating School Culture

Battistuz, Susan. "Creating School Culture." HTM Dissemination Book. 2008

Summary/ Analysis:

This article discusses both the importance and methodology behind creating positive school culture. Susan Battistuz, the author is the director of a new High Tech High School in North County. Unlike most newly appointed directors, Susan focused less on content, standards and rigor in anticipation for the new school year than she did building rapport amongst staff and students so that her school was a fun, comfortable safe place in which to learn. She mentions several methods in achieving this goal; For staff she hosted a staff retreat where teachers collaborated, cooked and shared time together. In addition, she structured Summer meetings in such a way to include icebreakers and social events. For students, she organized a program called "Summer Bridge" in which students were acclimated with both each other and the High Tech High System. In addition, Susan centered early community meetings to be flexible and effective in establishing rapport betweeen teachers and students via the Teacher "Fashion Show." Lastly, Susan emphasizes the importance of "manipulating physical space." Decorating walls with student work helped ensure constituents that the school was built for them. Learning became a collective process.

I was struck by Susan´s attention to relationships between both staff and students. There was an overarching purpose behind each interaction pre- the 2008 school year. Her implementation of such methodology seemed to be very well received. Students appreciated being "able to be [themselves]" and felt like they "had more help from their teachers" than at previous schools. I would be interested in asking Susan more questions regarding the strategies she used to create a positive climate within her new school. The article is extremely affective in promulgating the methodology, however it does not go into detail regarding how to implement each strategy. I would love to sit in on a staff meeting at North County in order to understant how I can best implement such methodology in my own classroom. If anything, Susan´s insight was wonderful in re-inforcing the idea that positive, democratic school culture can exist.

Quotes: "I was not concerned with content; our primary focus was on establishing relationships— among staff, students with each other, and teachers with students-- in order to begin building a sense of community."

"I knew it was a project based learning school and with technology. I also knew a few school policies. I thought it would be better than just doing research, writing a paper, turning it in, and getting a grade, like at my old school. Now you do a project, it really teaches you, you're more involved. Summer Bridge reinforced the idea that this would be a better school than my last school. I was bored and unchallenged at my old school. I already knew some of the teachers, including my team teachers, this helped me to grasp expectations. I liked talking in front of class after the project during Summer Bridge...My favorite thing was researching whatever topic you wanted and then getting into groups and coming together to create a news story. We had different locations and everything." - Kelly, 8th grader at HTM