Change Project

 

I began elementary school in Costa Rica when I was six years old.  At age 11, I completed 5th grade.  I knew how to read, write  and speak in Spanish at grade level.  The Costa Rican literacy rate is 98%.  I traveled from Costa Rica to the United States in March by airplane.  It was thunder storming when we arrived in Providence, Rhode Island.  Arriving in this country as a 12-year-old was an immensely overwhelming experience for me.  I faced the challenge of not knowing English and struggled to communicate with my classmates and teachers.  When I was enrolled in a middle school in Providence, I had to repeat the 5th grade because Spanish was my first language and I did not comprehend my the lessons given to me. Fortunately, I had an incredible support system in my family, who constantly motivated me to excel in school and in life.  They instilled in me the belief that with the right skill set, discipline, and a thirst for learning, I could overcome any obstacle.   

I graduated from Virginia State University with a Bachelors in Science in Psychology. Working at several mental health facilities for a couple of years, I decided to give teaching a try. I was hired at the Providence School Department as a teacher assistant in a kindergarten classroom for ten years. In December of 2022, I graduated from Rhode Island College with a second Bachelor's degree in Early Childhood Education, Pre-K to 2nd grade. I felt that I needed to improve my skills and decided to continue my education. I was accepted in the MA in TESOL concentration in Bilingual and ESL certification in January 2023.

When I became a first-year teacher, I was determined to involve parents in the classroom and actively engage them in their children's education.  I started by sending out weekly newsletters every Friday, providing information in both English and Spanish about upcoming activities.  To make it visually appealing and user-friendly, I used colored paper and implemented a color-coding system based on language.  Additionally, I created a Classroom Dojo where parents could explore the various activities we were involved in.

One particular student, Victor, stood out in my 2nd-grade class.  He struggled with self-confidence and had been absent for 60 days prior to my taking over the classroom in January.  He expressed his dislike for school and believed he was "dumb."  This broke my heart, and I felt compelled to change his perspective.  I reassured Victor of his intelligence, and encouraged him to stop speaking negatively about himself.

Victor's situation led me tp reflect on Sir Ken Robinson's Ted Talk about "rising dropout rates, the diminishing emphasis on arts in schools, and the impact of ADHD." Concerned about Victor's frequent absences during the 2022-2023 school year, I sought to learn more about his circumstance.

I reached out Victor's mother, and she revealed that their family was "going through a lot." However, she assured me that she would ensure Victor attended school regularly. The next day, when Victor returned, he was assigned the role of line leader, a responsibility he had always desired. His joy was visible, and he began showcasing leadership skills. Victor's mother expressed her gratitude for my kindness and remarked that she had never seen her son so happy about school.

Reflecting on my experience with Victor, I recalled Rita Pierson's powerful Ted Talk, "Every Child Deserves a Champion."  It emphasized the importance of having an adult who never gives up on a child, understands the power of connection, and strives to help them reach their fullest potential.  I felt immense satisfaction knowing that I had forged a strong connection with Victor and his family.

This project held significant importance to me as it required changing my approach to parent communication to enhance their involvement in their children's education.  From the outset of my teaching journey, I recognized the pivotal role parents play in the success of students in my classroom.

I firmly believe that parents' active engagement is crucial for better attendance, completion of assignments, and the development of social skills. Parents are invaluable assists in their children's education, as students desire motivation and guidance from their parents is needed in order for them to achieve their academic goals.

I've been considering ways to revolutionize parent communication since that school year ended. I thought about how parents cam contribute to improving our communication and came up with a solution: conducting a classroom survey to gather insights on their preferred means of communication. I also plan to implement a real-time online newsletter delivered every Friday, and maximize the features of the classroom Dojo for daily activities updates. Additionally, I have come to realize that relying on technology to streamline my classroom operation has made me a techno-traditionalist. By developing a digital newsletter, I will move parents' technical experience in my classroom to a techno-constructivist system.

The Newsletter will include links to audio books for students to read with their family.  The books will focus around our weekly reading assignments from our curriculum.  YouTube videos on the books will also be added to the newsletter.  Zoom appointments are also added to the newsletter for parents to schedule an appointment with me to speak with them.  Our monthly classroom events will be posted on the newsletter.  

The classroom Dojo student feature will be used in September for them to use the feedback features. They will also be able to access video features and create them as well. Students are able to see how many views, comments and likes on the app.

The attached new newsletter was develop on the Smore app and is attached for review. It was not hard to develop and I actually like the flexibility to adjust or change its content. A tutorial on how to make a digital newsletter is attached.

 https://www.smore.com/9h3ex7/edit

My classroom Dojo was also updated to give access to my students to use the app as well. Parents will have the option to write a message, state if they like a picture or activity that their child is engaged in.

Sherry Turkle, states that the Pandemic Made Us Strangers to Ourselves.  Using Victor again as my example, he was a child growing up during the pandemic and today he prefers to spend his day at home on his X-box instead of coming to school.  In my solution to this article, I will use technology to bring parents into my classroom so that they can be active participants in their children's education.

According to the National Education Association (NEO), having an active parent engagement network in a school will lead to students' success.  Parents that are engaged in their children's education will lead to their children being engaged as well.  Students tend to demonstrate their engagement from their grades, test scores, greater social skills, better behavior, and are able to be resilient in school which may lead them to pursue higher education (Wolpert-Gawron, 2019).

Praise should be one of the factors of parent engagement which I plan to do on the Classroom Dojo app, by telling parents how well their child is doing. Emails messages will be sent to parents as well. Students culture is also an important tool that I will be utilizing in my classroom. Listening to parents about their children will also help with my goal for parent engagement (Wolpert-Gawron, 2019).

Through this process, I will build a relationship of trust and mutual respect with the parents of students in my classroom. Having a parent-teacher relationship will help to foster a culture that is supportive which will lead to them taking active roles in their children's education. This course helped me to provide families with different modes of digital communication through our digital age. Once parents are provided the resources needed to help their children, their children will learn and grow (Cooper, 2021)

  

I aim to adjust my communication methods to increase real-time parental involvement and collaboration in their children's academic goals.  Technology has become a game changer, providing parents with real-time information about their children' classroom and achievements.  Parents play an essential role in improving attendance, assignment completion, and social skills.  by implementing these changes, we can address limited parental participation and inconsistent student work, establishing a stronger connection between the classroom by the use of digital communication for enhanced academic progress.

In conclusion, I had a lot to think about during this course for my change project.  Going through the steps made it easier to manage the changes that needed to be addressed to make my classroom more effective for everyone involved in the process of change.

References:

https://www.schoolnow.com/blog/parent-involvement-school-another

https://www.nea.org/advocating-for-change/new-from-nea/eight-ps-parent-engagement

https://www.ted.com/talks/rita_pierson_every_kid

https://www.ted.com/talks/sir_ken_robinson_do_

https://time.com/5946966/sherry-turkle-pandemic-lessons/

https://video.search.yahoo.com/yhs/search?fr=yhs-syndic8-active8&ei=UTF-8&hsimp=yhs-active8&hspart=syndic8&p=Sherry+Turkle&type=sourceAUD1#id=1&vid=631

Pecha Kucha

 

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1_yDViOXfhiF0olV5AlyxYNoKq60cb2FI/view?usp=sharing

Turkle

I feel that I and everyone who was touched by the life threating pandemic of COVID-19 which affected our society globally.  l lived through Sherry Turtle's account of how she experienced displacement during the pandemic.   The pandemic change what I knew a teacher should be.  I last my classroom full of students, who needed in-person care with in-person empathy, to being a teacher alone in a room sending a video via or zoom to students alone in their room was a disconnect for us from people.  

I learned that we can't gain real empathetic feelings when we are feeling separated from other's which was caused by using technology in the classroom.  This process of learning may cause problems for students without normal social interaction.  

After the pandemic of 2020, I now see the veil of the screen lifted and my goals of education are clear.  This experience has made me realize that by investing even more in the people around me with time and empathy, will fuel me to reach my goals.  

I also realize that in using remote technology to communicate as my prime delivery system was mostly ineffective as a ways to fully connect with people.  I experienced what the anthropologist Victor Turner taught, I had a stronger bond with my family and other teachers I worked with.

                                             https://youtu.be/Pnsw5xFuXHE

I feel as tough we all got another chance at reaching our goals with renewed spirit and increased awareness of what must be done to reach positive communication.

Technology is a tool that when used appropriately will help us achieve our goals and experience life around us. 

 

Rethinking the TRUE Rosa Parks Story

  

In "Rethinking Popular Culture and More", Marshall and Sensory examine the "Politics of Children's Literature: What's Wrong with the Rosa Myth?" by Herbert Khol (pages 81-88). The chapter highlights how children's books present an alternative account of Rosa Parks' story, failing to accurately portray her beliefs and the historical context of racism. This misrepresentation persists in elementary education, where students receive inaccurate information about Parks and the Civil Rights Movement. Addressing Racism in education has historically been challenging, particularly for educators who are not a part of the African American culture/diaspora. 

The chapter began with "Issues of racism and direct confrontation between African Americans and European American people in the United States are usually considered too sensitive to be dealt with directly in the elementary school classroom (Kohl, 2016)

Myth # 1: This misconception stemmed from the belief that Rosa Parks was a destitute and weary seamstress when she took her stand on the bus in Montgomery, Alabama during the 1950s. 

The True Story of Rosa Parks' story is that she was a member of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP). Additionally, she was also vice president of the Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters and a seamstress in a large department store. She was not tired when she sat on the bus that fateful day.

It was not the first time that she was asked to remove herself from her seat. 

There are others that were arrested for getting on the bus and not giving up their seats. When Rosa Parks was arrested. Due to her involvement with the NAACP, it was easier for the movement to put in place the bus boycott which was planned with the intent to execute in the future. 

However, the information taught today distorts this history, depriving marginalized students of their true heritage. Addressing racism and race-related issues can be challenging for white individuals, as Robin DiAngelo discusses in "White Fragility" "When African American and European American are involved in a confrontation in children's texts, the situation is routinely described as a problem between individuals that can be worked out on a personal basis. In a few cases where racism is addressed as a social problem, there has to be a happy ending (Khol, 2016)." Children's texts often present confrontations between African Americans as individual problems that can be resolved personally, sometimes with a happy ending. This approach is inappropriate, particularly for children in marginalized communities who need resilience and accurate information. Educators should provide students with factual knowledge, allowing them to make meaningful connections to their own lives. 

Myth #2: "In those days there was still segregation in parts of the United States. That meant that African American and Europeans were not allowed to use the same facilities" 

The Chapter acknowledges that educators feel uneasy discussing the topic of legal segregation in the South with elementary school students. Explaining the present-day consequences of segregation is challenging for many educators. Rather than delving into the underlying issue of racism, the emphasis is often placed solely on depicting segregation as the problem. Some educators argue against exposing young children to the violent aspects of segregation due to potential classroom management difficulties and the risk of raising racial issues for African American students. However, there are educators who believe that it is crucial to teach students about the history of segregation as overt racism still exists in our society today. 

Myth #3: "Whenever the city buses were crowded, African Americans had to give up seats in front to European Americans and more to the back of the bus" 

According to the chapter. African Americans were prohibited from sitting in the front of the bus. Instead, they were assigned a designated section, typically located 5 to 10 rows from the front, known as the "colored section" If the "white" section was full, individuals in the "colored" section were required to move towards the back of the bus 

Myth #4: "One day on her way home from work Rosa was tired and sat down at the front of the bus" 

On that particular day, Rosa Parks boarded the bus and took a seat in the front row of the designed colored section. However, when a European American passenger entered the bus and the white section was already full, Rosa Parks and three others were requested to give up their seats. 

Myth #5: As the bus got crowded she was asked to give up her seat to a European American man, and she refused. The bus driver told her she had to go to the back of the bus, and she still refused to move. The driver called a policeman who arrested Rosa. 

In the text "My Soul Is Rested", Rosa Parks' autobiography is referenced, where she recounts the incident that led to her eviction from the bus. According to her account, she was initially asked to move to the back of the bus after refusing to pay the fare. When the driver's first request was ignored by the passengers, he asked a second time, and eventually, a male passenger compiled followed by two female passengers in the same row. However, Rosa Parks remained seated, and when the driver threatened to involve the police, she firmly declined to move. Subsequently, the police were called, and when questioned, the driver affirmed that Parks had been informed of their impending arrival if she refused to comply. When Rosa Parks inquired why they were being treated in such a manner, the police officer responded that he did not know, and eventually, she was arrested. 

Myth #6: When other African Americans in Montgomery heard this, they became angry as well. It was then decided from Park's incident that they would refuse to ride the buses until everyone was allowed to ride together. All African Americans boycotted the bus. 

Rosa Parks' arrest became a pivotal moment in the Civil Rights Movement. Her arrest, coupled with her affiliation with the NAACP, provided an opportunity for the movement to indicate the planned bus boycott more easily. The boycott was strategically designed and intended to be implemented in the future, and Rosa Parks' arrest played a significant role in its execution. 

Myth #7: The boycott, which was led by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., succeeded. Now African Americans and European Americans can ride the buses together in Montgomery, Alabama, which became a successful milestone in the Civil Rights Movement. 

Teachers have a responsibility to be knowledgeable about the information they teach to ensure that their students receive accurate and fair education. It is crucial for educators to base their instruction on the science of learning. By utilizing reliable sources, such as Rosa Parks' autobiography "My Story" written by Jim Haskins in 1992, a more authentic and factual version of history can be presented. 

The text suggests that the lack of truth in our schools can be attributed to approved curricula by the government or school districts. Failure to teach the truth at a young age can perpetuate/cause societal oppression.        

    

 

Smore Newsletter

I wanted to explore smores, online newsletter tool because it allows me to send weekly updates to parents, keeping them informed about school expectations. Using this format ensures that parents receive information, as opposed to relying on printed newsletters that ay go unread.

I found the smore, online newsletter to be new and exciting. It offers customization options, allowing me to present the content in a way that suits my students and their families. I particularly appreciated the ability to include texts in Spanish making it more accessible. 

To get started, simply search for the website on Google and  easily found it at : 

www.smores.com/app

_____________________________________________________________________________

Guiding step by step - how to : 

Step 1 :  Upon visiting the website, you will be prompted to enter an email address. I used my google address to create an account 

Step 2 : you will see a "welcome to smores!" And be asked  to select the type of newsletter you'd like to create. Some examples are education , business, non-profit, or other . 

Step 3 : you have the option to organize events or start from scratch 

Step 4: you will be prompted to add a title in the designated grey section. 

Step 5 : Customizing options are available, including the ability to add pictures . On the right hand side, you can find various designs to chose from in the drop down menu under "design".

Step 6: I selected an educational background that aligns with the design I wanted to use for y newsletter. 

Step 7 : customize my newsletter by adding pictures that represent the students in my classroom

Step 8 : I chose font styles and colors to match the classroom theme from the free selections provided by the app. 

Step 9: The pictures I added to my newsletter were sourced from my picture gallery, or uploaded from my computer 

Step 10 : The apps' filled in sections can be customized according to your preferences 

Step 11: to edit an of the boxes , simply click on them and fill in or modify the content. 

Step 12: If you want to remove a box, hover over the selection, and click the "x" button to delete 

Step 13: Selections can be moved by clicking on them, and dragging them to the desired position 

Step 14: to add a photo to any section f the newsletter, click on the arrow to the right or left, and select and image from your gallery 

Step 15: addition elements can be added to the newsletter, such as texts , pictures, events, audio, embedded links, titles, galleries, videos, buttons and files. These options can be found under the "added more stuff to your newsletter" selection.

Step 16: you can use the plus button to add a video to a newsletter 

Step 17: it is also possible to include a link a book, and add it to the newsletter 

Step 18: add any items to the newsletter by simply clicking and dragging it to the desired location 

Step 19: the newsletter can be shared through social media platforms , or via email list 

I enjoyed creating my classroom newsletter as the process was straightforward. The final product serves as as good starting point for the upcoming school year, and I can make changes if needed. 

https://www.smore.com/9h3ex7/edit

A School in the Cloud

 

The Ted Talk gave me a different perspective on teaching young people in an online environment.  That said, the statement reminded me of the Paulo Freire banking system in educational institution, where teachers state what a student is learning (following curriculum) because the student does not have any prior knowledge about anything,  Sugata Mitra's "A School in the Cloud." demonstrated that students should work on a problem individually, in groups (personally like heterogeneous groups) to solve problems.

                                            https://youtu.be/eI-tmv4DLEk

Students like going online to browse on the internet about things that are of interest to them.  So, I believe that using the internet in an educational way like Mitra stated, may very well help students reach and exceed their academic goals.  From this course, if educational tools are presented to student in the way that Brigette taught us, our students will make gains as well.  Through proper scaffolding and guided instruction gain in education will be demonstrated.

I really think that by developing proper lesson plans that are engaging with technology can help our students excel because the are education themselves and are able to access information in real time.

https://elearningindustry.com/online-distance-learning-the-new-normal-in-education

Doing school work online lets our students have real time interactions with their peers and students are able to collaborate on class assignments from anywhere. Working online may help those students who are not able to attend school complete their work at home, which will allow them to keep up with their class assignment or homework.

I also believe, as Freire stated, that as an educator, I need to remain humble in regards to the limitation of my own knowledge and that I should incorporate my students' knowledge in regards to their internet skills.

https://youtu.be/9NzKrFAaCsA

https://youtu.be/rCNImsWUxZA

https://www.google.com/search?q=sugata+mitra&sxsrf=APwXEddnzjmyw6cWoM4I7Rgbc8SBhYOl4g%3A1688179749678&source=hp&ei=JZSfZMnxJsqi5NoPlru28Ao&iflsig=AOEireoAAAAAZJ-iNeckIVKG3PiLcKTqg_JSN99rDeGE&gs_ssp=eJzj4tLP1TcwKi-3TDYwYPTiKS5NTyxJVMjNLClKBABnHwhF&oq=sugata+&gs_lcp=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&sclient=gws-wiz#fpstate=ive&vld=cid:6b2db54a,vid:rUQtzCBCDD0

The 1619 Podcast

 

The 1619 Podcast

Episode 4: How the Bad Blood Started

     https://1619education.org/

In reflecting on The 1619 Podcast: Episode 4 - How the Bad Blood Started, hosted by Nikole Hannah-Jones, she started the podcast introducing herself and the relationship she had with her uncle. The story telling with background music can be heard throughout the introduction. It was soft music then changing to another louder background music as she speaks of her uncle's condition and deterioration and death.

The podcast was centered on authentic, non-fiction, storytelling in an interview format based on a conversation Jeneen Interlandi. It included an image with text and audio files. The podcast's main theme focus on the inequalities face by people of color in medical treatment since during president Truman's time to today. Prior to the slave narrative clapping of hands can be heard. The story of how slaves and poor whites were not treated for example during a chicken pox breakout and the first African American doctor were brought to light in the podcast.

https://www.trumanlibrary.gov/education/presidential-inquiries/challenge-national-healthcare

The podcast ends dramatically with a poem by Yaa Gyas called " Bad Blood." The closing of the podcast, which focuses on the poem, said "How exactly do you cure bad blood?"

             https://youtu.be/LoEAWvTvFus

I like the idea of using podcasts in my classroom because it allows students in the classroom to freely express their creativity, they are able to research subjects of their interest, and help build on their communication skills. By putting the podcast together it helps build their problem solving skills as well.

Podcasts help build communication between peers and teachers on current events. They come with written content that can be read over and over for comprehension and clarification.

                                  https://youtu.be/LoEAWvTvFus

                   https://1619education.org/about-1619-project/teaching-1619-project