Personal Bias Phlogg

I am a very tolerant and compassionate person by nature. I have been raised to except everyone and respect individual differences. As a teacher I expect my students to respect each other and be fair to one another. If a bias does exist it is difficult for me to admit. Being honest with myself (and you all) I would have to say that I have personal bias for those students that are low income and have some sort of disability. I have extensive experience working with this type of student population here at CNM.

I have worked as a tutor at CNM since 2005. Working as a science tutor at CNM for a federal grant program called TRiO. The history of TRIO is progressive.  TRiO is a federal grant program which emerged out of the Economic Opportunity Act of 1964 in response to the Kennedy administration's War on Poverty.  The Kennedy administration created this piece of legislation to serve underprivileged students in middle school (Educational Talent Search), high school students (Upward Bound), and post-secondary students (Student Support Services). By the late 1960's, the term "TRIO" was coined to describe these three federal programs.

Over the years, the TRIO Programs have been expanded and improved to provide a wider range of services and to reach more students who need assistance. Additional TRiO programs have been created under the Higher Education Amendments throughout the years.  Currently, TRIO includes eight programs targeted to serve and assist low-income individuals, first-generation college students, and individuals with disabilities to progress through the academic pipeline from middle school to post baccalaureate programs. The legislative requirements for all Federal TRIO Programs can be found in the Higher Education Act of 1965, under Title IV.

My role with TRiO as a science tutor has expanded beyond the content of science. I have worked with a diverse student population with a number of challenges. The unique population that I work with has a long range of learning disabilities and physical disabilities. I have to develop new ways of supporting students as they navigate their way through higher education.

In addition to tutoring this population of students, I have also worked as a science teacher at CNM in the School of Adult and General Education (SAGE) for six years. These students are taking developmental courses to help prepare them for entry level college courses. The sad truth is that most students do not take freshman level course work as a freshman. Rather they take developmental courses that implement high school level content. There is a problem with this of course; students are not learning or retaining information from high school. Sadly, the NM state legislature has recently cut CNM funding for these types of courses. As a result I lost my teaching jobL My bias as a teacher is for the underprivileged student that needs special attention to be successful. Now teaching high school I hope I can eliminate the need for developmental education at CNM!

Phinal Phlogg

Teaching at a new charter high school has been a tremendous blessing! In such a brittle economy I consider myself truly blessed to be employed. Other than having a means to pay the bills, I feel especially fortunate to get paid for doing something noble, influencing and developing the young minds of Albuquerque’s youth.

Curriculum is an important tool that is a vital component of teaching.  The curriculum should be established to challenge students and to assist the instructor. Creating a science and engineering curriculum from scratch for The GREAT Academy charter has been a very challenging task. The GREAT Academy is a small charter school with tremendous potential. Students at The GREAT Academy are not placed on different learning tracks. Every student is required to take the same courses as their peers. The students in my classes are of different ages and different abilities but are required to complete the same level of work. This is great for the student because it requires every student to challenge themselves and prevents them from falling behind their peers.

The curriculum that I have created has been fashioned using the New Mexico state science standards and benchmarks. For anyone who has not read these standards and benchmarks should be aware that these standards address grade levels 9-12 simultaneously. I wish there was a separation of content based on each grade level so I could narrow my focus a bit. The challenge I face daily with my curriculum is the unpredictability of the student’s previous content knowledge. Curriculum should be flexible for this reason.

I sometimes wonder how my teaching experience would be different if I worked for a school with a curriculum already in place. This would be easier for me to simply implement the established curriculum rather than having to create, implement and critique my own efforts.     

Phirst Generation Phlogg

I am proud to say that I am the first person in my family to graduate college. Demographically speaking I am a first generation college student. As a kid, when certain members of my family were gone for a while my father would sometimes say that they were away attending “pen-state.”  Of course when I got older I realized that everyone who attended “pen-state” had to wear silver bracelets and dress in matching uniforms.(jail)  Seeing people go down the wrong path has helped me realize which path to take. I learned that education is my way out of generational poverty and dysfunction.  Once I began to value education, my outlook on life changed for the better. Now I feel compelled to encourage others to understand the value of education so they can do something for themselves, their families, and their country.   

Graduating from college and perusing a profession as a teacher has brought great joy to my family. In being a teacher, I want to leave a legacy of success and prosperity that will set a new standard in my family. My family has very few positive role models, and I strive to be a person who others can look up to and seek advice from.

Super Bowl XLVI

To summarize American football, for those who don’t quite understand, it is a game played by overgrown ogres who run around chasing a ball and then continually fall down on top of each other. The super bowl is more than this; the super bowl is a spectacle. Everyone wants to watch, whether it be the game, the half-time show or the commercials, everyone wants to watch the super bowl. I will be watching to see Peyton Manning’s little brother, Eli “ahh, shucks” Manning lose disgracefully to the dominant New England Patriots. Point spread will easily cover. Gatorade color that will be poured on winning coach will be yellow.

My prediction:

Giants 17

Patriots 31

Phish out of Water Phlogg

Sorry I missed our last class :-( From the looks of my phellow phloggers, this week's phlogging assignment seems to have taken a new twist.....Phollow another phlogger?!?

In that case, I found a blogg post dealing with educational issues ranging from teaching techniques to technology in the class room. Both of these topics resonate well within me. When teaching another student I often find that the acquisiton of knowledge is a two-way street. . As individual learning styles vary, it creates an environment that allows the teacher to learn from the student (through trial and error mostly) the best ways to explain the content. This blogg uses the well known saying "give a man a fish and he eats for a day, teach a man to fish and he eats for a life time." As a teacher, I sometimes feel like a fish out of water! Working in education, I have learned a valuable skill......HUMILITY.

Our society has embraced technology as an everyday tool to improve the quality of life. From cell phones to ipads, we have seen tremendous leaps in the capabilities of new technology. As a result, our dependence on technology has also increased. How often do we simply "google" the answers to questions? Sadly, my answer is, daily :-(   I am very greatful for technology, because it allows a person with average intelligence (like myself) to obtain an answer or opinion instantly. The catch 22 of course is that society as a whole does not need to be intelligent to know an answer or form an opionion, they just need to be resourceful. Technology in the class room has created new obsticles to learning. Students that I teach will often say, "why should I learn that, when I can just look it up on internet?" As much as I enjoy technology and understand its importance in the class room, I also see its flaw......OVER-DEPENDENCE.

Change Agency Blogg   http://ed421.com/

Moral Phabric Phlogg

  The moral fabric of society is torn!  Sadly, teachers are often the only positive influence in a child's life. Although learning institutions are not always filled with nurturing instructors. From my own experience, it seems that most children seem to lack a sense of self worth. It is the teachers job to help students realize their own potential. This is the most difficult task of a teacher. Education in the traditional sense should strive to create confident and productive members of society. During the schooling process students should learn responsiblity and accountability for themselves and their actions. Content knowledge is the primary focus of an instructor (lesson plans!), although the most important lessons learned are revealed through professionalism and a positive attitude.

Phirst Phlogg

Greetings to all phellow phloggers! I am excited to enhance my teaching abilities this term by taking education courses at CNM. I currently teach part time at CNM and part time at a local charter school, The GREAT Academy. I love teaching and the process of learning! My own teaching philosophy is one that has been created through trial and error. My approach to teaching usually involves humor and everyday experiences to create a personal connection to the subject matter. I have taught many science courses and an occasional math course at CNM. Working as a science teacher at The GREAT Academy has opened my eyes to the many challenges that young learners face. The biggest obstacle I will have to overcome is breaking old habits and adopting new ways of thinking about teaching/learning. I hope to evolve as a person during the duration of this program.