New York State Report Cards For Westbury Public Schools

New York State Report Cards

Questionnaire on Divorce and Children

Questionnaire on divorce and children. Data below.

The 6 C’s of Conflict Resolution | Rochelle Harary | Orthodox Union

Juanita's: Embed Youtube

Juanita's Conceptual Framework

The above framework is a depiction of how technology supports and enhances the development of literacy skills in children.

 Recent findings show that the integration of technology supports emergent literacy curriculum and instruction in early childhood classroom environments. As indicated in this article by Hourcade, Parette, Boeckmann and Blum, entitled Handy Manny and the Emergent Literacy Technology Toolkit (2010), the researchers outlined how a comprehensive technology toolkit consisting of both hardware, and software programs that run on computers) can enhance the construction of early literacy skills in students experiencing academic challenges. The article described examples of hardware such as large computer video displays (LCD screens), digital cameras, and audio outputs/inputs for sounds and voices) and software such as Microsoft PowerPoint, Clicker 5 and Communicate that met the academic needs of the children.

 The researchers used a popular children’s show – Handy Manny, to draw an analogy between Manny’s toolkit and an early childhood learning environment. In the children’s show each tool in the kit has unique qualities that allow the tool individually, and as a team to assist Handy Manny. Similarly, this study points out that children need a technology toolkit, a collection of appropriate technology tools (hardware and software) in order to accomplish their task (of emergent literacy), as well.

 Struggling learners may benefit from the unique supports accessible through educational and assistive technology (Jewitt 2006; Loveless and Dore 2002; McKenna et al. 2006; Siiraj-Blatchford 2004; Valmont 2003), particularly as technology is thoughtfully infused throughout curricula and instructional practices (Loveless and Dore 2002; McGee and Richgels 2006). Furthermore, research shows that classroom computer usage is consistently associated with (a) increased student motivation (Hitchcock and Noonan 2000; Kamil et al. 2006; and (b) gains in emergent literacy skills (Hutinger et al. 2006; Parette et al. 2009a, b). (pg. 483).

 Hourcarde, J., Parette, H. P., Boeckmann, N., Craig, B. (2010). Handy Manny and the emergent literacy technology toolkit. Early Childhood Education Journal, 37, 483-4

The History of Technology and Reading

What an interesting video  --- it discusses the history of the use of technology in teaching reading.


 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S1Jkwe_M3zM

Technology Enhanced Reading

There is a wonderful app for beginning readers that provides e-books for free. The app is on Google Chrome and is called MeeGenius.  Children can read the book utilizing the audio playback as it tracks and highlights each word or they can read the story on their own.  This wonderful app is free (for now), so take advantage!

http://chrome.meegenius.com/#store

 I

Mary's Conceptual Framework Assignment

School Lunch Program and Food Waste

The above drawing represents what we at Westbury Schools have done to increase student participation in the school lunch program.  The menus include food selections that are both appealing to students and nutritious at the same time.  By providing students food choices - a hot meal (pizza, pasta, or chicken) or cold meal (salad/sandwich bar) students are more apt to eat the meal and not dispose of it.   Since the implementation of the salad/sandwich bar at the Middle School, student participation has increased and the school lunch program has become more profitable.

 In September, 2010 the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency conducted a study on how much waste has being generated by the Minnesota Public Schools. The study was designed to analyze the school waste composition and to evaluate all of the materials schools discard, including trash, recycling and organic.  The researchers wanted to identify ways that schools look at waste and find ways to reduce or recycle.  The study was conducted in six schools over a two-day period which included two elementary, two middle, and two high schools both in urban and suburban locations.

The study found that the major component of the trash generated at schools was food waste.  Food waste accounted for about 23.90% of the total waste generated.  The study points out that there are many reasons for the food waste generated at schools.  The researchers state that “policies that define quantities and types of food which must be served to students impact waste generation.  Students who are served food that they do not eat generate more waste.”  Through our efforts we have improved our feeding program as the Westbury Schools, we have been able to offer and serve meals that are nutritious and appetizing and also meet the nutrition guidelines of the Federal/State National Lunch Program. In addition to this we implemented the Wellness Policy in 2008 that has guided the school district in focusing on good nutrition and physical activity for all students.

Reference:

Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (2010, September).    Digging Deep Through School Trash. A waste composition analysis of trash, recycling, and organic material discarded at public schools in Minnesota. Retrieved from www.pca.state.mn.us/index.php/view-document.html?gid=14235

Rochelle- Conceptual Frameworks

The rationalle for researching the cognitive and behavioral affects on children of divorce is due to my working relationships with these children. I have counselled and assessed children privately and at many schools. It is important to note that sometimes divorce is the best alternative to a marriage that is dysfunctional however any change in the family structure can distrupt the well being of the child. Regardless of the parent's best good intentions, children become involved in an emotional whirlpool. Sociologists and psychologists have reliable informations that note that there are extranneous factors that can affect the child's reaction to the divorce. I have read much research that shows that the effects depend on the child's gender, age and the child's innate personality. It is also important to note that the intensity of the conflict between the parents is a significant factor in the child's behavior and cognition.
An article entitled "The Effect of Divorce on Children" noted that divorce increases the risk for a variety of issues for children. These significant issues are dependent on factors such as age, gender and the personality of the child. With respect to age the article noted that there is little information of the effects on infants. It was reported that young children do not always suffer when the divorce occurs. These young children may exhibit issues when a close relationship is broken because of the parental split.
Preschool children, ages 3 to 5, have a tendancy to feel that they caused the divorce. An example was cited that a preschooler remarked that if she would have eaten her dinner and listened then daddy would not have left. These children react with fear and may begin to resort to baby like behavior. An example would be to wet their bed.
This article noted that psychologists believe that elementary school age children are the most significantly affected. It is felt that these children are old enough to understand the process and the pain of their parent's separation however too young to be able to control or verbalize their pain. The article noted that they often feel rejected by the parent who left. These children often complain of headaches or stomachaches.
Adolescents are noted to feel anger, fear, loneliness, guilt and often become clinically depressed. They often feel that they are no longer children and have to assume the role of the missing parent. the often are not ready for this new responsibility. Many adolescents have expressed doubt in their ability to ever get married. At this age, they may understand the situation prior to the divorce as well as the divorce process. This may become so stressful that they have difficulty in their coping strategies. Many adolescents have noted that they feel the pressure to side with one of the parents.

The article also noted that gender is not a significant factor in response to behavior and cognition. Researchers note that children's adjustment following the divorce have more to do with the quality of the relationship between the parent and the child rather than gender. The article did note that school age boys living with their fathers or in a joint arrangement appear to be less aggressive and have fewer emotional issues that boys who have no contact with their fathers. Girls that are raised with their mothers tend to be more responsible and mature than girls who are raised soley with their fathers. The article appeared to stress that it is of importance that the child have a direct contact or living arrangement with the same sex parent.
This article noted that it takes approximately 2 to 3 years to adjust to the parent's divorce.

The next article noted that children are more likely to experience negative effects of divorce on their academic achievements. The article compared standardized test scores, grades and dropoit rates of divorce versus non divorced students. The results, as noted with the past three decades, indicate that children of divorce generally have poorer scores. These poorer scores are noted to be caused by their behavior rather than their intellectual abilities. This article noted that boys tend to become more aggressive and difficulty getting along with peers and teachers. It is also reported that their attendance is negatively affected as well. This article reported that girls are more likely to internalize their feelings which subsequently will result in depression. This too, has a negative affect on their academics.
There is a direct correlation in comparing these articles with my own practice however I do want to note that not all children of divorce experience a negative outcome. There are ways to alleviate the children's stress and learn to develop positive coping strategies. Parental involvement is crucial and if nurtured properly and with a close contact with the child, they will grow into well adjusted, both emotionally and academicaly.

Behrnan, R.E. and Quinn, L. (1994) Children and divorce, overview and analysis. In Children and Divorce, 4(1). Packard Foundation.

DeBord, K. (1997) Focus on kids: The effects of divorce on children. North Carolina Cooperation Extension Service.

Article Analysis Assignment 1

1. What are some of the technology tools utilized during data collection?                          

The technology tools utilized during the data collection were WEB 2.0 tools.  They also used wikis, blogs, Google docs, email, video conferencing and web-based collaborative tools to correspond and collect the research data.  Interviews were conducted using social networking sites and other online venues.   The research team also used iphones, flip videos, and digital cameras, and Google voice to memorialize their research evidence.

2. In your own words, describe the term “digital native” as referenced by the author in mentioning Prensky?

A digital native is a person who has grown up in the digital technology world and     uses the technological tools for all instant communication such as a smart phone, the iPad, a computer, video games, kindles.  A digital native has been surrounded their entire life by digital tools and uses as a “second nature” to communicate to the rest of the world.  

3. In your own words, what is the “purpose of this study”?

According to the authors’ the purpose of the study is to investigate the infusion of educational technology in daily instruction practices in the 21^st Century classroom.  With the large amount of dollars being invested by school districts to implement technology this study will shed light on how  exemplary educators an school systems both school adults and students in 21^st century education.  

4. What are the sub-questions used by the dissertation author(s) in support of the central question?

The research team used the following sub-questions in support of the central question:

How do educators prepare students for work in the 21st century?

How does project-based learning support the skills of the 21st century?

How do students use 21st century skills and technology to create and share work?

How do the professional development opportunities provided for teachers impact the work and products produced by the students?

What is the nature of the information systems in place that support 21st century instruction? 

5. Summarize briefly (1 paragraph) John Dewey’s ideas about students and work as gleaned from Chapter 2 of this dissertation.

Dewey was a proponent of project-based learning.   The researchers state  “Dewey advocated the philosophy that education can only be facilitated through activity guided problem solving and the connections associated with the relationships that the program has to real world; the relation between reason and sense.”  Occupational instruction was seen as a means of exposing students to future career opportunities.  Students should not be taught one particular job skill (vocational training). Instead, students acquire a large knowledge base in order to understand the meaning of his/her work as it relates to the well being of the greater society and its social significance.  The idea is that students will develop critical thinking and problem-solving skills so they can apply this level of thinking to future jobs in an ever-changing environment.

6. Contrast Technical vs. Illusory (1-2 paragraphs) vs. Constructivist schools as outlined by Popkewitz, and referenced by the dissertation authors.

The analysis of the Technical vs Illusory vs Constructivists schools are different philosphies as to the concept of authority. The role of the professionals, teachers and administrators during reform is critical to the success (Popkewitz et al., 1982).  This type of schools philosophy transmitting knowledge, defining students' work and exercising authority of the teachers and administrators during the implementation of IGE. Popkewitz defined the differences in these cultures as illusory, technical or constructivist as based on understanding knowledge, work and authority. Technical schools is defined by the teacher adhering to the standardized form of education. There is a clear distinction between work and play. Play is ony permitted when instruction is completed. This is more of a traditional method. The idea that mastery of a subject is important and assessments and records are recorded. The teachers view themselves as experts in assessing students' deficiencies. Teachers also adhered to strict rules in the education process. The Illusory schools define education as passive in that students success or failures are not solely the result of the school itself. Classroom procedures are directed to a passive approach. These students are not assessed correctly therefore resultung in an inappropriate underastanding of the particular students abilities. Teacher's focus is more directe to the behavioral aspect of the student and not the cognitive development. The Constructivist theory defines education as a comprehensive integration of skills.The teacher assesses student progress based on the students performance rather than the assessment score. Students have the ability to self evaluate that are sent home to their parents. This philosophy develops a sense of self esteem and control as to where they are cognitively and what access they need to develop. When I assess students as to IQ (cognitive assessment) I always give a behavioral assessment to understand the child's perception of themselves. This  philosophy places an emphasis on the student's involvement in the education process.

7. What is the dual focus of the “Advocacy Design Center” (ADC) framework?

The dual focus of the ADC model (Smith, 1990) is a) a holistic view of the school’s culture or design, as an institution in its social context, and b)    an inquiry or self-assessment by a core group of the schools stakeholders.  The self-assessment serves as a basis from which the leadership may focus the school's comprehensive education plan. 

8. What are the four components of ADC, and how many areas are contained within?

The four components of the ADC system are: 1) instruction, 2) organization, 3) governance, and 4) accountability.

9. Summarize briefly (1 paragraph) the work of Adria Steinberg as referenced by the dissertation authors.

Adria Steinberg is noted for her work in Real Learning, Real Work: School to Work as High School Reform (1998).  This key piece of literature redefined the boundaries between academic reform and vocational learning as a structured movement toward high school reform.
Steinberg’s work addressed the historical questions of John Dewey: Is the school-to-work movement a new version of the old vocational education, a series of programs for the non-college bound students? Or is school to work a paradigm for the education of all students in which the world of work becomes the point of entry for looking at a range of issues, which will make the learning process, come alive for all students? 

She believed that programs in school should bridge the gap between school and community life and the world of work.
Steinberg defined six principles for hands-on humanities to guide the process of deepening students’ understanding of how people and institutions deal with real life events.
She also developed 18 design questions that can be used in conjunction with Advocacy Design Center's (ADC) concept of instruction. These questions fall into six categories: authenticity, academic rigor, applied learning, active exploration, adult relationships and assessment practices.
Steinberg's 18 questions, along with ADC's instruction component (i.e. student work) can be used to  define the culture in schools under study using Popkewitz' (1982) three distinct types of cultures - illusory, technical and constructive.

10. What are the right-brained aptitudes as outlined by Daniel Pink?

This dissertation focused on the preparation of learning in the 21st century and it noted two books that informs us on how humans process information and how technology changes the role of information. Daniel Pink wrote a very interesting book called "A Whole New Mind, Why Right-Brainers will Rule the Future". Daniel Pink describes how the human brain is divided  into 2 hemispheres. The left hemisphere is responsible for the ability to comprehend language. It was noted that for many years, it was believed that the left hemispheres were superior for cerebral functions. The left hemispheres is where one processes information analytically, understands language and reasons sequentially. The right hemisphere is responsible for recognizes patterns, resons holistically and is able to interpret emotion and non verbal expression. He reveals that we are in the conceptual age and in order to succeed, one must use the skills of the right hemisphere to be able to see the big picture and be able to" inventive, creative and empathetic".  Pink described this age as dealing with abundance, automation and Asia and that we need to develop and compete in the modern age of technology. People are connected around the world with all forms of technology and it is the right brain thinkers that could compete and succeed in this new world. Right brain thinkers can develop automation because computers are now doing the work that people did in the past. Pink demonstrated the progression and transition from the agricultural age to the conceptual age of today. These stages are the Agricultural Age to Industrial Age to Informative Age (where left side brain was cinsidered superior) to Conceptual Age (where right hemisphere brain is considered superior). Previously, the left brain was considered superior because it involved humans to analytically appliy their hard work for success. Pink outlined 6 right brained aptitudes that workers will need to acquire to master over left brain reasoning. These 6 types of aptitudes are needed to shape the new world. They are: Design, Story, Symphony, Empathy, Play and Meaning. Pink also noted that the future needs to include the ability to create the product that can be produced overseas that is cheaper, can it satisfy what is needed in society and can computers do it faster. Pink's idea that the right brain has to develop for new generations to flourish. It is important to note that in assessing students, those who are left brain are more the analytical students and those who process information tend to excel in computers, and are able to cognitively score higher on the assessments given today.

11. Summarize Thomas Friedman’s theory of a “flattened world” in one or two sentences.

Thomas Friedman wrote "The World is Flat: A Brief History of the Twenty First Century. He describes his own view of the new world of technology. He described how globalization has affected the way generations flourish. He described his own personal experiences in his travels where he was in another country and noted advertisements that were American. He reported that he saw how conferencing where people across the world were meeting and conversing with eachother.He quoted "We are entering a phase where we are going to see the digitization, virtualization and automation of almost everything.. the great challenge for our time will be to absorb these changes in ways that do not overwhelm people but also do not leave them behind" (p.45). Briefly what he is describing is that the world is becoming flat because the interraction is occuring throughout the globe in more ways then every before. It is as if there is a straight line to everywhere around the globe. He enumerated this idea by describing ten forces that flatten the world. It began with the fall of the Berlin Wall to today with the invention of all forms of technology that allow people to collborate within seconds from any place around the globe.

12. The “Partnership for 21st Century Skills” visual framework was used as the backbone of the dissertation conceptual framework.  Insert a picture of the P21 visual within your Blog page.

13. What are ALL the elements of the Conceptual Framework in this study?

The purpose for the partnership for 21st  century skills is to connect learning with the new century of technology. The student will evolve and contribute what he has learned to become successful in this new age. All the elements of the framework that were noted in this dissertation were the skills, knowledge and expertise that students need to acquire to be able to succeed in the 21st century.

  1. Core subjects and the 21st century themes

 2. Learning and Inovation Skills- a) Creativity and Innovation b). Critical thinking and problem   solving and c). Communication and collaboration.

 3. Information, Media and Technology Skills- a) Information Literacy b) Media Literacy c) ICT Literacy.                                                                                                                         

4. Life and Career Skills- a)21st Century Standards b)Assessment of 21st Century Skills c) 21st Century Curriculum and Instruction d) 21st Century Professional Development e)21st Century Learning Environments

14. Briefly explain (1 paragraph) the “method” used in this study to collect data. 

The method used in this study is identifying and reviewing all aspects of the study in the collection of the data. The research was focused on the function of instruction and educational technology in the 21st century classroom.This includes studying the research questions, the population and sample used in the experiment, the instruments, the procedures for collecting data, the reliability and validity of the reseatrch design. Briefly, the population included 4 schools in different areas of the country that have high standards in the preparation for their students for learning. The researchers focused on 4 questions. These questions were designed to elicit the type of preparation in educating students for the 21st century as well as professional development for the teachers. It also focused on the support system used in the education process. This study used a qualitative research method. The data attained and depicted was in the form of words and pictures. The researcher used a case study approach. The data collected utilized a critical incident technique. This is flexible data that focuses on defined behavior in a defined situation. The researchers used video recording, photography and voice recordings in a practical situation. The data collection involved interviews with people, filed observation and focused group discussion panels and artifact collections.The artifacts included samples of district mission statements, lesson/ project plans, course outlines, student work and rubics associated with completed projects. The team used 21st century technology such as wikis, social networking and video conferencing to communicate with eachother.Finally google documents were used as a collaboration for the findings of the study.

15. In looking at the “limitations " of the study, what could be a natural "next study" for a  new dissertation in this arena?
One of the limitations of this study was the hand-picked teachers and parents by school administrators to provide feedback in the interview process. Another limitation was the lack of different socio-economic groups in the study.  Schools of high needs may have high quality infrastructures that have been provided by federal and state grant funding.  A broad range of  schools with  varying economic-wealth may have resulted in a different finding.  Students’ feedback and perceptions was not included in this study.  We do not know if the students feel they have been properly trained with the 21^st Century skills needed for this competitive global society.

The next study should include interviews of students and their perceptions of the learning tools and environment provided by the schools.  Do they think they are “college ready?”  Has their school properly educated them and provided them with the technological skills needed to ensure future academic success?  These may be some of the questions for a future study.