Ms. Anderson

    When it comes to a goal based design, Teachers usually set academic pathways with a goal in mind. "These are the standards for this year, standards being our goals, and this is how we will get there" is how a lot of the teachers at my school district see the Oklahoma Academic Standards. The philosophy of  design-down, deliver-up is very applicable to our curriculum alignment. We design to the students academic level and then strengthen those skills to deliver them up to our goals.    Assessments should be used to determine how we have reached a academic goal, and which standards still need to be kept as a goal. Assessments should test the learning objectives and those objectives alone. I usually benchmark assess my students a few weeks into school, then again before Christmas break, and lastly in February. I use these to track students academic growth.       Our 2nd, 3rd, and 4th grade team all collects this data and passes along this inf...

  Have you adopted Farrel's backwards planning model as a teacher in planning lessons? Does it help align written curriculum, taught curriculum and assessment? Why and why not? Think about the indicators that matter most to you - how do you plan to evaluate the classroom culture and teaching effectiveness in the future?       I do see myself using Farrel's backwards planning model in correlation to the forward model of planning. I personally include pre and post assessments when it comes to my planning. In the math classes that I teach, I also plan for students to review and practice previously taught standards throughout the year. It is this reviewing of standards and how we have progressed them on to other math skills, that I see myself using the more holistic approach that Farrel's model allows for. I have found this constant review to help students finesse their standards taught from previous grades, as well as their curren...

  Based on your opinion, should or could we adopt dual processes (i.e., naturalistic or technological ) into your curriculum? If not, why? If yes, on what level (elementary, secondary, or post-secondary)? Does such dual approach mechanism provide more educational opportunities, or does it further polarize the society?  Let's talk about what each individual process would even look like in the classroom for teachers and students. There are two main processes that occur in the classroom.       The technological process is straight forward. What are our objectives and what standards do we need to cover? This process is one that I found myself using as I was a new teacher. I was learning my standards and learning how to teach them effectively. I still find myself using this process in my classroom at the beginning of each year, as my students are learning my expectations, and while I'm learning more about them as individuals.     The naturali...

  Gather information and data from PISA website and compare the rankings of US and Finland.  Why do you think Finland out-performed so many developed countries with such equitable and non-consequential guiding notion? Is there any ideas or rationale behind that speak to you? As an educational leader, what elements could and should our society adopt from Finland to improve our educational programs?      While looking at the PISA website, the data is really interesting. In 2008/2009, Finland out performed by a landslide. During this timeframe, Finland invested in their teachers, and trusted them during the process. I also read some articles from the Smithsonian Magazine in regards to the education system. The first thing that I noticed was that it seemed that for the first 9 years a student is in school, they receive a individualized education plan. In addition to these plans, most teachers stay with the same group of students for around 3-5 years. They work ...

 I personally feel that before I can evaluate my teaching experiences, I have to first acknowledge my learning style. I am most of all a linear thinker. I tend to grow from previous learned experiences, and I try to apply those concepts to new situations. This is probably why I  feel much more comfortable with subjects like mathematics. I personally feel more comfortable making decisions in situations where rules or patterns can help me find a solution.  Due to my process as a learner, I find myself to teach in a reconceptualist approach. Each year, I follow the patterns of my previous students to modify situations when we come across the same situations in the present. I keep a list of techniques that work for each standard that I teach, and revisit that list each year as I teach that standard to the next group. I look for those patterns and rules, and use those to progress.  I do not find myself to be a Laissez-Fraire advocate or even traditionalist. I'd like to th...