Chapter 7

1. pg. 247-248 I wonder if the results of this study would have been different if each child were given his/her own card to be flipped down if he/she used the “naughty finger” instead of a whole group punishment.
2. pg. 252 I wonder what results would be found in a similar study that used more than one management “tool” such as time-outs and a token system of sorts?
3. pg. 254 We have the Accelerated Reader program at my school and give out MANY rewards/prizes for reaching point values. I wonder if this program has dropped students’ intrinsic motivation to read for pleasure because of the competition for points with each other and prizes/parties individually.
4. pg. 255 I wonder if my students are interpreting the rewards systems I have implemented in my classroom in ways that increase their personal intrinsic motivation to do well academically and behaviorally.
5. pg. 256 I wonder if the feedback I give my students has been truly constructive in some instances. I know behaviorally I have asked students to simply “stop” a certain behavior and left it at that.
6. pg. 256 I wonder if I provide my students with enough quality feedback through graded work to enhance their learning experiences. For example, I have my paperwork set up to send home a weekly report every Monday with current averaged grades and the graded assignments from the previous week stapled. The student does not immediately see what he/she got on a test or homework assignment.
7. pg. 255 I wonder how to find the balance of rewarding students for a job well done without hindering intrinsic motivation? Currently, I feel as if I do too much rewarding.
8. I wonder where the concept of relating prior knowledge to what is being learned fits in with all of this. Do we ask students what they know about “rules” and what are some rules that they have at home? Do we ask them what happens if they do not follow the rules? We need to collect on their previous knowledge and build upon that knowledge to construct meaningful behavior and reasons for that behavior.
9. I wonder if I have too many reward systems in place in my classroom. I use the pull a card method for disciplining my students (five minutes at recess for first card, ten min. for second, etc.) I give students the opportunity to earn tokens for an auction every Friday. Students earn tokens for right answers, behavior, etc. and then can purchase items at the auction by bidding on them. Also, I use a whole group system where students earn marbles to put in a jar. If the entire class is quiet in the hallway, at an assembly, etc. they can earn so many marbles. When students fill the jar to a certain level they get a reward as a class.
10. I wonder why it seems that children today expect something for every little thing that they do? It seems that they respond the best to receiving rewards. During the school year, it seems that there are constant parties going on. We have class parties, Accelerated Reader parties, Semester rewards parties (for good attendance, good grades). It is overwhelming.

SKEP

11. Assertive Discipline – Canter and Canter      I wonder how much easier managing our classrooms would be if not only teachers “influence students to behave” but all adults involved in the child’s life set a positive example for the student.
12. Positive Discipline – Frederic Jones      I wonder if a teacher used positive discipline the majority of the time, how much student and teacher attitudes toward the school environment would become more positive. Sometimes at the end of the school day, I do not like how I feel about things. I feel as if I have said “no” and “shhh” so many times throughout the day that I’m completely exhausted. I find I feel so much better about the day when I have used more verbal praise to keep kids on task – I like the way that ____ is sitting in her seat.
13. Positive Discipline – Frederic Jones      I wonder if much misbehavior in the classroom could be the consequence of an ill prepared teacher. If students are truly engaged in the activities of the school day, the students mayl not be tempted to intentionally or unintentionally disrupt activities.
14. Curwin/Mendler      I wonder if we spent more time in the lower grades really instilling and teaching appropriate school behaviors, teaching students how to think about good and bad choices in school and life, and also teaching children what types of behaviors can allow for better learning - would this help control behavior in later grades?
15. Alfie Kohn      I wonder if instead of giving up positive rewards all together, we could limit the stickers/candy and add more verbal praise and/or teach kids to praise each other. It is a great boost of self-esteem to have a positive compliment from a classmate rather than only from the teacher.
16. Alfie Kohn      I wonder that if more emphasis was given to instilling good behaviors (the desire to do what’s right) and the intrinsic motivation to do well/behave, our teenagers would have less involvement with drugs, alcohol and other pressures commonly associated with this age.
17. Alfie Kohn      I wonder if I have caused my students to “want something for everything”. Even when we are learning our cursive letters and I am having my students write a word for me as I walk around the room, I usually have one or two ask if they get anything for writing the word correctly.
18. Others      I wonder about the benefits a school district could obtain by having all teachers share their classroom management plans and interpretations of classroom discipline. With all the different viewpoints, I think teachers could really learn a lot from each other.
19. Conflict between Dewey and Thorndike      I wonder if a teacher carefully considered how his/her students are disciplined at home that there could be a better understanding for consequences at school. I think it is difficult for a child to be treated one way with his/her parents and then when at school, receive totally different treatment for an unwanted action. We had a first grader saying bad words at school because he was allowed to say those words at home. It was very difficult for the child to see his fault when allowed to do those things at home.
20. A Fine Balance – Richard Mayer      “Learning depends not on the feedback but rather on the learner’s interpretation of the meaning of the feedback.” I wonder (especially with younger students) if when teachers are giving feedback, they teach students how to interpret that feedback at the same time. I know that I have “talked over the heads” of my students -taking for granted that they knew what I meant. I think it is important to offer feedback and then explain what you mean by it, allowing students to ask questions if they do not understand. Once taught how to understand feedback, then, what students do to improve actions in the future will be up to (interpreted by) them. I sometimes wonder if what we say to students as feedback goes in one ear and out the other and is not considered as meaningful information for the future.

Readings: Chapter 4 Mayer, and SKEP chapter

1.       In second grade we use word webs (graphic organizers) to think about what we already know about a topic (planning process). I wonder what other tools can be used for this process with young children. (118)

2.       I wonder how to break down the writing steps for young children. (118)

3.       I wonder if less emphasis was given on the product at the younger grades and more emphasis on the process – we could get great products in later grades. (119)

4.       I wonder if we approached writing as problem solving as the text suggests, students would be able to analytically organize their writing for an audience. (120)

5.       I wonder if I should allow more talking aloud and conversation about ideas when my students are working individually on writing assignments or stories. (122)

6.       I wonder how to master the steps in writing when all depend upon one another. The text says that most students before the age of 12 have only mastered generating ideas. Is it too much to try to teach it all when they are only able to master the first step? (123)

7.       Because younger students can dictate stories better than writing them, I wonder if it would be beneficial to record a student’s think-aloud and ideas to access later when the student is attempting to organize thoughts. (129)

8.       I wonder if I should encourage my students to use computers more with writing. (132)

9.       Modeling is so important in all subjects. Much of my writing instruction includes modeling with a mini-lesson (Four Blocks Program). I wonder if I am able to communicate expectations to my students through these writing models. (139)

10.   I wonder if peer review is thought to be appropriate for the editing stage. We use each other’s opinions for our writing stories and edit our writing together. (139)

11.   I wonder how to teach a structured writing process without losing the creativity. We sometimes do five-paragraph writing (opening paragraph, three main points, closing paragraph) to attempt to teach some organization. (141)

12.   I wonder how I can better foster the relationship between reading and writing in the classroom. (144)

13.   Writing is a complex process. I wonder why my school has no aligned writing curriculum or specific program in use. Some teachers use the Four Blocks instruction but there is no set program for the primary grades.(SKEP)

14.   As technology progresses and computer use (Internet) is more prevalent, I wonder if we will be using printed text as much (or paper and pencil) to communicate. (SKEP)

15.   I wonder how I can incorporate more digital creativity into my writing instruction. (SKEP)

Readings: Mayer, chapters 5, 8 and 12, and SKEP chapter on mathematics

1. I wonder how I can help my students build problem translation skills. (154)
2. I wonder why translation skills are not emphasized in the mathematics curricula when they prove to be very useful in the studies represented in the text. (157)
3. I wonder if we hinder childrens' thinking skills by directing them to look for key words (like how many more for subtraction) in a story problem to know what to do? Some kids search only for the words and then subtract. They do not read the rest of the problem - maybe missing other steps. (159)
4. I wonder if we spent more time on re-telling in other subjects, it would help math comprehension. (153)
5. I wonder why some math series constantly review previous concepts learned and others focus more on one concept per chapter and only have a cumulative review at the end? (162-163)
6. As the text mentions, I also wonder what order to present concepts when using concrete manipulatives - computational procedures first or concrete manipulatives. I teach 2-digit subtraction and show concrete with the procedural to hopefully create the connection. (281)
7. I use interactive computer games/activities/simulations to reinforce concepts. I wonder how much these help and if I am "using them wisely". (284)
8. I wonder what it would be like to have a problem solving class in which the main focus would be to cultivate those skills and apply skills to all subject areas. (402)
9. I wonder if there is a limit to one's intelligence as referred to by Binet. (403)
10. I wonder if problem solving strategies should be taught as both a separate general course and within the specific subject areas to make the connection. (406)
11. I wonder if anyone else has heard that there is always one right answer to a math problem which makes math easier than language/reading where there could be multiple interpretations? (SKEP)
12. I wonder if all students should be required to show their work on problems even when they can discover the answer without showing. Through our reading, I think this could be very beneficial for problem solving and making connections. (SKEP)
13. I wonder how often teachers emphasize the last step of problem solving - deciding whether the strategy used was effective. (SKEP)
14.As we are training students for jobs that do not even exist yet, wouldn't this put problem solving skills and high order thinking at the top of the list for instruction? (SKEP)
15. I wonder if many teachers utilize journal writing for math in the elementary grades. (SKEP)

1. I wonder if we taught lessons/concepts first as real-world problems and discovered ways to solve them – then showed the computational format, would it hold more meaning? (436)
2. I wonder how I can bring learning to “real life” so students will be more apt to using skills learned in school. (436)
3. I wonder if my students feel as if they are in constant competition with each other. It is one way to motivate, but not necessarily a good way. I try to avoid competition but we do play games. Accelerated Reader points are usually an issue and something that students share with each other. (445)
4. I wonder if low achieving kids may be left behind in cooperative learning groups if high-achievers “take over”. Even if roles are assigned, others may want to do it for the low-achievers to hurry the task along.(447)
5. I wonder how students’ attitudes toward group work would affect the success of the group. Some kids do not like to rely on others to get work done, while others depend on the group for a lot of help. (448)
6. It seems that teachers do a lot of modeling but perhaps do not allow students to model in front of their peers often enough. I wonder why this step is skipped. (453)
7. I wonder how to find the time to observe all students modeling every skill/concept taught to ensure learning. Often we rely on independent practice to assess learning. It would be difficult to find the time to observe each student’s thinking processes. (454)
8. I wonder if explaining the reasoning behind learning concepts/skills to students would help motivation and understanding. I try to explain why we learn concepts and its uses as I am teaching. (459)
9. I wonder why some students possess a natural motivation to learn while others struggle. (461)
10. I wonder if older brothers/sisters, parents, teachers and other influential people in a student’s life would better model a love for learning – would this influence the child’s feelings/motivation? (461)
11. If interest learning is more beneficial than effort learning, why do so many texts repeatedly use worksheets and less hands-on/discovery approaches to learning? (462)
12. I notice that I reflect my feelings and motivation toward certain topics when I am teaching. Some concepts are not as exciting to teach and I know at times I reflect those feelings. I wonder how to keep my students motivated for certain tasks as well as myself. (464)
13. I wonder how to emphasize meaning in text without getting caught in seductive details. How can we get students to focus on the important? (473)
14. I wonder if having students compliment each other frequently would allow growth in self-efficacy and motivation. (473)
15. I wonder how to motivate those students who do not lack ability – only desire. Some students even show great interest in topics and are perfectly capable of doing the work but choose to be sluggish and even miss recess to finish. Why are the capable sometimes still slow at even interesting things? (480)

1. I wonder how to get kids to “open up” and speak about their misbehaviors in a productive manner. Many children freeze when they know they did something wrong. They don’t know why they did it and sometimes don’t understand why it was wrong.
2. I wonder why teacher and students do not spend more time discussing behaviors that allow learning to take place?
3. I wonder how to inspire students to think of their learning as a freedom instead of a chore?
4. There is direct personal encounter on a one to one basis where the educator is being himself or herself, and there is not denial of the true self. I wonder if I am always being my “true self” around my students.
5. Sometimes I hear a student groan at the request of an assignment. I wonder if I acknowledged those feelings outright (instead of brushing it off), I could handle the situation better and have less problems in the future?
6. I wonder how the teachers in my district would react to a student-centered classroom instead of teacher-centered?
7. Thoughts and feelings determine actions. If a student does not feel happy in his/her classroom, I wonder how we can expect him/her to learn anything?
8. I wonder if teachers took more time mediating conflicts by letting students solve their own problems, would overall discipline in the classroom would improve?
9. I wonder how difficult it would be for a student to adjust to a teacher who was student-centered to one who was teacher-centered the next year?
10. I wonder why more time is not spent teaching social skills in the classroom?
11. I send out weekly reports letting parents know student grades and behavior. I wonder if I am emphasizing the wrong things by doing this?
12. I wonder if students would benefit if they were asked to evaluate themselves based on what they had learned instead of letter grades given by the teacher?
13. Student empowerment makes me think of our Accelerated Reader program. The students are in charge of their reading . They are offered prizes for reaching certain point value goals. I wonder if the prizes and grades were taken away, would students be motivated at all?
14. I wonder how younger students (if given all the freedoms of the Summerhill school) would benefit? Would they be able to make mature decisions for learning?
15. I wonder what different roles technology could play in Roger’s approach to classroom learning?