After reading this chapter I found the idea of democratic classrooms very much interesting. Having subbed in middle and high school grades I find that giving students options within a certain perimeter they tend to choose very wisely and thoughtfully as a whole. Some will still make sarcastic remarks or begrudgingly go along with the chose made, but for the most part, even when it comes to rules and discipline they make very good choices if treated as the age they are and less like 'little children'. I have been dubbed by several students as the 'strict but fun' sub. The schools I work for are not democratic so I and the students must still work within their regulations and standards but they seem to respond better to assignments and lessons when given options about them. I think schools, especially high schools, should become more democratic. From 9th grade on they are gearing to become full adults with the responsibilities of full adults, so why not allow them to practice those rules, standard, and fulfillment responsibilities while still having the support and guidance of their peers, teachers, and administration. We as teachers are always supposed to have higher expectations for our students to learn and grow more than they think they can and more often then not, those students will rise to meet or surpass what is expected rather then fall short.
I also found that the topic of portfolios for teachers leaves me with some questions. I find that updating it consistently and evaluation are good necessities for teachers to do. But when the issue of leaving old or older things in one I still think is a good idea for certain things. Like if I was struggling to teach a certain lesson or topic well for a while and had that in my portfolio as a weakness and then realized through student and self- evaluation what to do better in the future and then succeeded in carrying that out and added the new and better information or lessons into my portfolio wouldn't it seem better to show and track the actual growth I made rather then simply writing that I did. it would also serve as a reminder every time I looked at it where I went wrong and how to not get back there and to keep improving. Almost like a digital reminder to always push forward and upward in my skills and abilities. I would also have a bit more respect and find someone who can admit to their mistakes and actions they took to better themselves to have more integrity and humbleness, which are aspects most employers look for, not just in teachers.
I also like the idea of pre-assessments before beginning a new topic but I'm not sure I would do online ones unless it was like a homework assignment with only a grade for completing it. I wouldn't be able to truly trust the answers if done online from somewhere other than the classroom since the internet and other people could help them. I also think that the section on 'test prep' should be taught daily and not just for testing. It is more a matter of understanding vocabulary and deconstructing the information given down to just what is important and forgetting about what I call the 'fluff'. I try to teach this through word problems and riddles. My students seem to enjoy doing the riddles more since they seem less like 'work' then the word problems, but they both teach the same concept.
Resources
Citrino, J. Picture Via: istudyincanada.com. Created via: Canva.com.
www.canva.com/design/DABhkvuEd2I/9IZfjg1Q80yXP0Maj_NP4w/edit
Maloy, Robert, Verock-O'Loughlin, Ruth-Ellen, Edwards, Sharon A., and Woolf, Beverly Park. (2013). Transforming Learning with New Technologies. 2nd Edition. Boston, MA : Pearson Education, Inc.
