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Statement of Informed Beliefs Yelena German Kae Hamilton EDUC 204 Families, Communities, & Culture Online Course, Summer 2012

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Statement of Informed Beliefs Personal values clarification had helped me to make a decision in life like becoming a teacher. I had alternatives as far as what do I want to be, but have made my mind up to something desirable which has intrinsic and extrinsic rewards. Students also need these rewards that will motivate them to do even better in school. Without parental involvement in a childs education, he/she might not succeed and lose interest in school. It is also a teachers job to get involved in students education providing them with support, encouragement, praise, and help. Teachers are accountable for the education they provide during the school year, and students are responsible to learn and do what is expected of them. I want to share about my understanding of certain aspects of students learning and my knowledge of certain ideas regarding teaching in the following points: all students can learn, teachers expectations, students social ecology theory, cultural diversity instruction, and curriculum for all learners. All Students Can Learn Regardless of the circumstances, every child is capable of learning using one or more of Howard Gardners multiple intelligences. This theory explains the different learning styles which can be used in a curriculum to better educate students. Gardner recommends the use of eight intelligences, logical-mathematical, linguistic, bodily-kinesthetic, musical, spatial, interpersonal, intrapersonal, and naturalist to be adapted by teachers to fit each childs learning style (Berns, 2010). The teacher is responsible to adapt the different learning styles into the curriculum so students can actually absorb and retain the information. Not all children learn the same way so the teacher will need to understand each child and how he/she learns best. There are ways this

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can be done. For example, telling the instructions verbally plus showing the whole class how to do something like putting the pieces of the puzzle together then gluing it to the bottom of the paper, will help those visual, auditory and tactile students to better understand on how it should be done. Another example would be teaching ABCs to kindergartners with music playing the ABC song. This technique will enable those musical learners to learn ABCs faster because of the rhythm. I will adapt the different learning styles in my instruction making sure all succeed. I will use more visual aids as part of my instruction because I think we all learn something from just seeing an object with our own eyes. Teachers Expectations As a teacher I would expect my students to follow the rules of the classroom. I will not approve copying someone elses work; students will not learn that way. Asking questions would be greatly encouraged either by raising the hand or asking it in person to make students feel more comfortable in front of the class. Educational should be the goal of each individual because education is essential to live a fulfilled life in todays changing world. Students will need to understand that without education, they cant fulfill their career goals. Parents and teachers need to instill the importance of education into a child so he/she will strive to succeed and do their best by setting goals and master them. Values clarification will enable students to better understand what they desire in life and count it valuable. The goal to get a good education could be one which a student could make it a reality. Students Social Ecology Theory Students come into a classroom with their own experiences and different backgrounds. Each of the children has his/her own attitude toward education and how he/she uses their prior

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knowledge in a classroom setting. A child from a divorced family may feel neither stress nor want to participate in school and/or activities due to family restructures resulting in binuclear family. Child custody and going between the parents homes may have a negative effect on the child and his/her performance in school. A child in a single parent home could lack connection problems as well as financial problems. The parent may not give the child enough attention and help with homework and due to the work, the child may have to go to day care. The teacher is

to understand each child and what he/she can do to develop a connection between school and home and provide the additional help which some just dont get at home. Socioeconomic status will change in a divorced family; one of the parents may have to move to a new location which will likely have a new school the child has to attend and make a connection there. For some children, moving and attending a new school may not be a problem, but for others, they can close up within themselves and may not want to make new friends and have the desire to learn and achieve good grades. In addition to culture, community, and peers, a family can have the greatest impact on students learning. If parents know and understand how important education is, they will do their best so their child is on the same route and does well in school and continues into college. Parents will need to be supportive and be involved in their childs education; by doing this their child will look at education differently. Whatever a child learns at home like behavior, ABCs, motives, he/she brings to school with them, and whatever a child learns at school, is bought home and shared with family and friends. Cultural Diversity Instruction The United States has become a melting pot in socializing diverse cultural groups. The diverse groups are blended into one and cultural pluralism is practiced in schools these days

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compared to cultural assimilation which had minority to become more like the majority. Cultural pluralism has gratitude toward the minority groups culture and values in our society especially in schools. As a teacher, I will value the different cultures in a classroom. I can be an example because Ive come from a different country with my own beliefs, values, and understanding of certain thing in my way. The teacher and the students bring their own culture into the classroom. Students need to understand each one of us is different in certain ways, and yet we are all alike; our norms, appearance, and the way we speak may be different, but we are all human beings living in the same city or even in the same neighborhood, plus going to the same school. Curriculum for All Learners As a teacher, it will be my job to educate all of my students in a way that will benefit them throughout their lives. Curriculum planning should be done prior to the first day of school. It is important the delivery of material is smooth and assessment is done according to the standards. Assessment is important because it lets me know how well the child takes in the material given and how he/she can use it, prompt feedback will be given accordingly. Because the students come from different backgrounds, my teaching should include the different learning styles and individual work projects should be level appropriate, starting from the easiest and upscale to more harder levels so students dont get bored doing work that might be too easy for them. If a student knows the grade level material, he/she will have the opportunity to do advanced work and will be encourage in doing he/her best. There will be no such thing as knowing too much in a certain grade level; all students will be encourage to do the best they can

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in learning through planned instruction, teacher-directed, and through hands-on and individuals interests, learner directed. To measure how each student improves from his/her original level, I will periodically assess each of them, making notes on which skills have been accomplished and what they need to work on to be at grade level or above. Homework packets according to their level will be given and worked on during the week. They will bring it with them to school to ask questions and/or show me how far they have gone through the packet. The use of computers in the classroom will also help me to know how much each student have mastered and what they need to work on. Taking everything into consideration, parents are a number one influence on a child and his/her education. According to Baumrind, the different parenting styles affect children in many ways. A childs microsystems and macrosystem are shaped by a parent(s). A students ability to learn comes from home and a teacher is to help, support and shape that ability so a child can get the most out of education. Parents are to help and guide their child to set goals and teachers are to help fulfill their educational goals. Each child needs to understand how important education is and what good it can do in the family, community, and mostly in inner self. To my understanding, education is a must have these days and teachers play a huge role in ones life to fulfill this goals whether the teacher teaches elementary or beyond.

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References Berns, R.M. (2010). Child, family, school, community: Socialization and support (8th ed.). Belmont, CA: Wadsworth