Week+5

Week 5 Work in Progress

I, Scott Kaye, verify that the members of our group listed below worked with me to complete this assignment. Kathryn Cook Megan Lines Amy Morris Scott Kaye Aurora Arnett

( Assignment: Summarize the four models presented in Chapter 5. Describe when it is appropriate to use each of the models. Which of the 4 do you believe the federal government supports? Ohio government? Principals? Parents? Professors of Education? Substantiate your opinions with examples.)


 * Chapter 5 Reaction:**

__Teaching As Transmission__: Students listen and absorb information dictated by the teacher. This information is determined by someone outside of the classroom. The classroom is set-up in neat rows of desks and chairs. Activities include note taking, worksheets, individual work and reading out of a textbook. The curriculum is determined by "experts" who have not spent a day in your classroom. Learning is based on memorization. This style is considered to be the "traditional" style of teaching. This style is effective when it is important that the students have the facts needed which they will need to know for a test, word for word. This seems to be most desired on the government level in order to meet criteria expected when taking standardized tests, especially in science, social studies and English. The rigid structure of teaching through transmission provides the greatest chance of students being exposed to specific vocabulary and concept s . As an example, Columbus City Schools at one time incorporated a direct instruction block into all primary grade reading lessons. The goal of this program was to make sure that all of its students were exposed to the same phonics and decoding skills, regardless of which school they attended, and in the event that a student moved to a new school during the school year.

__Teaching as Transaction__: Similar to Transmission in relaying information determined by "outside" experts. Activities are determined by the classroom teacher with some input by the students. Activities selected by the teacher promote higher level thinking and problem solving. Group activities are common and promote a more in-depth study of information dictated by the teacher. This style is most effective when the teacher desires to students to be able to use information given in order to display an understanding of the facts presented in class. Principals would desire this style due to the fact that information required for standardized tests is still being conveyed, while some higher level thinking is being required at times along with cooperative studies between students. Although teaching through transaction presents the risk of missing some specific vocabulary, the goal is that students will use their classroom experience as a springboard to comprehending the concepts within the lesson within their own learning style. Professional development provided to Columbus City School teachers has increasingly stressed the importance of allowing students to learn through experience, rather than complete worksheets. Training sessions are designed to allow teachers to plan lessons which incorporate several learning goals.

__Teaching as Inquiry__: This is a student driven curriculum which allows for student interests to rule class time. This technique of instruction works, primarily, in group settings in the form of projects and requires the students to use higher levels of thinking on a daily basis. A teacher using this technique must be extremely skilled with time management in order to cover required class content. This style would be effective in higher functioning classrooms where the students are self-motivated and have the means to go beyond the book and to have assignments that they find stimulating. This style would be most desirable to college professors with the belief that students need to be able to explore possibilities, while meeting knowledge requirements. Teachers working with gifted students are often able to utilize this approach to teaching, as their students are often armed with elevated vocabularies, strong mathematical thinking skills, and a strong appreciation for learning.

__Teaching as Transformation__: This style is very similar to Inquiry. The main difference is the goal of understanding the content in-depth and, furthermore, how the content interacts and makes a difference within the world. This style would be acceptable in schools who have the advantage of small classrooms and highly intelligent students who have the desire to push themselves mentally. This type of teaching would be most effective after the subject has been explored for some time as to where the students are knowledgeable within the subject and desire, or are able to further look into the topic. This style would be most desirable to parents and college professors who want their child/students to have the best opportunity to excel in the classroom and to be prepared for college studies.

It seems obvious that the federal government supports the //Teaching As Transmission// model. The No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 enacted requirements on schools, which the government believed would equalize the learning of all students. Teachers now find themselves teaching to tests rather than teaching to meet student needs. As a result of this law, school districts have aligned their curriculums to match the content of the tests. Teachers are expected to comply with pacing guides to ensure that all content is taught prior to the testing dates.
 * Federal Government**

It also appears that the Ohio government supports the //Teaching As Transmission// model. The Ohio Department of Education’s website states, “Academic content standards provide a set of clear and rigorous expectations for all students. Students need to learn more and do complex work at each grade level as they progress through school. The academic content standards provide clarity to Ohio teachers of what content and skills should be taught at each grade-level.” They also state, “How the material is taught is a local school and district decision.” This statement would lead one to believe that there is flexibility in a teacher’s approach to teaching and the methods of instruction that are used. However, due to the pressure put on the districts from the state report cards, districts are forced to make sure that the curriculum is presented in the manner that will enable students to score successfully on the statewide tests. Once again pressuring teachers to transmit information.
 * Ohio Government**

Principals are teachers at heart. They want what is best for students. Most principals would support the //Teaching as Transaction// model. This model continues to emphasize the content of the curriculum, but allows classroom teachers more flexibility in their approach and time management. Principals recognize the importance of developing higher level thinking skills and believe that these skills provide students with the tools needed to solve problems independently instead of using rote learning or memorization tools. Principals also recognize that students armed with the ability to use higher level thinking will also score successfully on the statewide tests.
 * Principals**

Parents can be a mixed bag when it comes to their expectations for their children. Their socio-economic background often determines their expectations. For example, students from homes of higher economic status often have a higher prior-knowledge base, a greater understanding of the world around them due to being well traveled, a larger vocabulary,and early reading experiences. These families’ expectations would support the //Teaching As Inquiry// model and some would even support the //Teaching As Transformation// model. They want and expect their children to be life-long learners. These parents often send their students to private schools to ensure these educational experiences for their children. Parents from lower economic status homes have other expectations for their children. We often hear from these parents, “This isn’t how we did this when I went to school" or "I just don't understand this new math." These parents expect the more traditional classroom. School wasn’t always a positive experience for these parents, therefore their prior experiences often lead to mistrust of the school environment. They expect the information presented to their children to be black and white, so that there is a clear understanding of what the child needs to know in order to earn that passing grade. These parents would fall in a range between the //Teaching As Transmission// model and the //Teaching As Transaction// model.
 * Parents**

Today, schools of education recognize the importance of content driven classrooms. Future teachers are taught to identify the content standards in their lesson plans and establish these standards as the goals of their lessons. But these schools of education also recognize the importance of higher level thinking skills and the use of interactive and creative methods of instruction. These schools do not support traditional teaching methods. Instead schools of education promote the use of Teaching As Transaction model, while some even lean towards the Teaching As Inquiry model. Schools of education view today’s teachers as facilitators rather than transmitters of information. They believe students must be taught to be thinkers and problem solvers. They believe teachers must provide opportunities for students to learn these higher-level skills. These beliefs fall in line with the nation's expectations for our nation's educational system. As we assess our position among other nations, we see increasing evidence that we are falling behind in the areas of math and science, and that as a nation, our problem-solving resources are dwindling. A focus on problem-solving skills in the educational system may make a difference in this area.
 * Professors of Education**