Homework
Title: Creating a Safe Haven for Learning
Introduction: Given all the physical, social, emotional, and cognitive changes that occur during the middle school years, it can be very stressful time for students if steps are not taken to ease the transition from childhood to adolescents. Furthermore, learning is likely to be tempered if students are unduly concerned about their relationships with peers and adults along with the demands of school. Consequently, middle school teachers, administrators, and counselors often take proactive steps to make school a safer and more accepting place for students to learn and grow as unique individuals during this intrinsically awkward and potentially turbulent time. The following assignment will ask you to look at some of the techniques used by thoughtful educators to address the physical, emotional, social, and intellectual needs of students with acceptance, empathy, and understanding.
Objectives: Given a reading about the nature of middle-level education, students will be able to describe the common strategies used to make schools safer places for early adolescents to learning and grow with a minimum of 80 percent accuracy.
Reading: Read chapter eight (pages 102 through 125) in What Every Middle school Teacher Should Know by Brown and Knowles (2014). Give special attention to the steps associated with reducing stress, nurturing interpersonal relationships, using effective communication techniques, reducing bullying, encouraging risk-taking, and minimizing competition.
Answer the following questions and number them as you answer them.
Questions: 1. A technology education teacher espouses a philosophy that embraces “teaching the whole child” through “hands-on learning activities” in the interest of preparing every student for the demands of “life and work in a technologically sophisticated society.” In practice, he teaches basic woodworking and metalworking with an emphasis on precision work, hand tools skills, and technical vocabulary. How might the students’ perceptions of this teacher’s philosophy differ from what he espouses? Describe at least two inconsistencies. (4 pts. pos.)
- The authors presented a list of common things teachers do that can create extra stress for middle school students (see page 103). What are four teacher behaviors in the list that are more likely to occur in a technology education class? Include the contexts (or situations) in which they are likely to occur in your description. (8 pts. pos.)
- The authors also listed some things teacher might do at the top of page 104 that are likely to have a negative impact on students. What are two behaviors that are not likely to occur in a technology education course? What are two that are far more likely to occur? Provide a modest rationale for your selections. (8 pts. pos.)
- The text explains how sudden stress can impact student learning. The results were characterized as “narrowing the perceptual field” and cognitive “downshifting.” Another word that could be used to describe this phenomenon might be mental “panicking.” What is another word that you might use to describe what happens to one’s ability to think under undue stress? Provide a modest rationale for your choice. (3 pts. pos.)
- The text reports the results of a study that collected students’ perceptions of a caring teachers that can be found in the middle of page 106. Which two are dependent on student assessment to be effective? (2 pts. pos.)
- The book also presents lots of recommendations for establishing a genuine bond with students at an interpersonal level. It goes on to present one teacher’s reflections on connecting with students based on a popular book. Does a teacher need to do a lot of the things listed at the bottom of page 106 or will a “little go a long way” if done in a sincere manner? Provide a rationale for you point of view. (3 pts. pos.)
- Why is it useful to thinking of students as “quests” in your classroom and lab in contrast to students that need to learn something (see the block quote in the top half of page 108)? (3 pts. pos.)
- Pages 111 and 112 describe the merits of “empathetic listening” and presents several non-examples (top of page 111) as well as several positive examples (top of page 112). What is the difference between the two sets of examples? What is the pattern embedded in the examples on page 112 that cannot be found in the non-examples presented on page 111? (4 pts. pos.)
- The authors presented a bulleted list of things teachers might do to encourage students to interact with a peer in the interest of establishing positive relationships. What is an activity that you would add to the list that would be especially appropriate in a technology education setting? (2 pts. pos.)
- Why do you think “bullying is two to three times more likely to occur at school as opposed to traveling back and forth to school?” (2 pts. pos.)
- Bullying occurs in both male and female peer groups in different forms. From a teacher’s perspective, which form of bullying is likely to be more damaging. Which form of bullying is likely much harder to address? Provide explanations for your answers. (4 pts. pos.)
- Why are technology education laboratories are more conducive to bullying than conventional classrooms? What steps can a technology teacher take to minimize opportunities for bullying to occur? (4 pts. pos.)
- Students with a history of academic failure can develop the attitude that “I cannot fail if I do not try.” These students tend not to take risk in fear of more failure, which limits their intellectual growth dramatically. What role can technology education play in helping these students learn and grow relative to the ideas presented in the text under the heading “Encouraging Risk-Taking?” (4 pts. pos.)
- Why is competition in the classroom so counterproductive in the context of supporting the intellectual growth and development of all students? What is an example of a popular learning activity in technology education that is intrinsically competitive and how can it be made more collaborative? (6 pts. pos.)
Evaluation: The number of points possible is listed after each question. They represent the number of salient ideas that constitute a rich response. Since the questions solicit thoughtful responses, they also reflect the potential for answers to be incomplete, thin, or foggy versus complete, rich, or clear.
