Journal of Classroom Teaching & Learning: 2009-03-01

Wednesday, March 4, 2009

Greetings from the editor

Dear readers,

Welcome to JOCTL—Journal of Classroom Teaching & Learning! This journal was originally created by Dr. Dengting Boyanton and her students at the University of Texas at Brownsville (UTB/TSC) in the spring of 2008. JOCTL is currently contributed by all the students who are taking the undergraduate course of EDI 15A Psychological Perspective: Teaching & Learning; EDI 17 Psychology & Development of Adolescents, and the graduate course EDI 600 Psychological Foundation of Education at the School of Education, Long Island University, C. W. Post.

JOCTL intends to publish our students’ research discoveries throughout their exploration with these three courses. It strives to provide the best platform for our university student researchers and scholars in the LIU as well as the New York community to exchange their findings and discoveries on teaching and learning. All of our students spend one whole semester investigating one research topic of their interest under Dr. Boyanton’s guidance and supervision. Most students’ research findings were or will be presented at the Conference of Elementary Secondary Teaching & Learning (CESTL), a completely student-oriented conference organized by Dr. Boyanton and all her students.

The main purposes of JOCTL is for our students 1) to discover principles, relationships, patterns, and theories of classroom learning and teaching; 2) to create a learning community for all students to discuss and exchange ideas about classroom learning and teaching; 3) to improve students’ analytical, critical thinking, problem-solving, and creative skills; 4) to enhance students’ communication skills (e.g., writing, public speaking, presenting); and 5) to help the students develop a deeper understanding on classroom teaching and learning and be better prepared as future teachers.

JOCTL seeks to explore the multitude of issues that impact and influence student learning in the classroom setting. In accord with its broad focus, the journal welcomes contributions that enhance the exchange of diverse theoretical and practical information from other educators, teachers, students, and researchers at LIU or the New York community. It is our hope that our JOCTL can provide a channel for all classroom instructors and professors to better understand students’ needs and characteristics as learners, thus to design their instructions which produce powerful classroom learning.

JOCTL has received much positive feedback and support from its wide range of audiences from from different universities (University of Texas at Brownsville, University of Texas at Austin, University of Virginia, Harvard University, Yale University, City University of New York, Willamette University, Long Island Universty). To read their feedback, click JOCTL Feedback.

We sincerely hope you will enjoy our students’ exploration on teaching and learning. If you have any comments or suggestions to improve JOCTL, please contact me directly at dengting.boyanton@liu.edu. We welcome honest feedback from you.

Thank you very much for your support!

Sincerely,

Dengting Boyanon Ph.D.
Editor, JOCTL
Assistant Professor
Educational Psychology
Curriculum & Instruction
School of Education
Long Island University, C.W.Post
720 Northern Blvd, Brookville, New York
516-299-4117 (Office)
Dengting.Boyanton@liu.edu
http://people.virginia.edu/~db6wq/

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In a perfect world: A reflection on racism and discrimination

By Michelle Evangelista
EDI 600 Psychological Foundation of Education

School of Education
Long Island University, C. W. Post
February 25, 2009

In a perfect world, I think that people will be able to live with the fact that there are so many different ethnicities. However, I believe that the stereotypes will live on forever. Discrimination will decrease and minorities will see better opportunities, but the labels of each race will be commonly used forever. I see this to be true because, America has its first African American president, but we still give African Americans the stereotypes anyway. Also, I do think that those that are “bad” ruin it for those who do not fit that classification.

The African American, who is a doctor or lawyer, should not be discriminated because of those who are in prison. People should step aside and make this known, because not every white person is labeled to be “white trash.” In every ethnicity, there are people who are just and those who are unjust. That should be the only labels we give people. Those who are caring, generous and work hard for their goals; as opposed to those who think justice is the “advantageous of the stronger.” In any race we have those who are “slackers,” hurt others and only have their best intentions in life. Every race has its criminals.

Even in my ethnicity, I see good and bad Italian Americans. America has its traditional all around Italians or its “wanna be” Italians. I consider myself part of a traditional Italian family. My mother and grandmother are both very loving and amazing cooks. They do not have an inclining of being close to the Victoria Gotti persona. I also do not see myself as coming across as an Italian princess. I value my money and family and do not tan my body and have long fake finger nails. These comparisons I am making do affect Italians who are off the boat and treasure their background, however, the stereotypes we make if Italians does not affect their ability to learn. They still check the white/non-Hispanic box.

There are so many ethnicities that classify as being white. You can be Italian, Irish, Jewish or even English and still check that box which means so much. Having the ability to be part of the “white class” gives you an upper hand and never restricts you from opportunities. You rarely hear, “I did not get the job because I am Italian.” Minorities on the other hand have to face that part of discrimination. They are not just made fun of by the labels we give them; it affects their education and careers.

The video we watched in class, “A Class Divided,” opened my eyes to how we all can be influenced by the hatred around us. I was so astonished to see how those third graders really discriminated each other over eye color! One minute they were best friends the next minute they were two different groups. They really took the time to divided themselves and see one group better than the other. After the movie I was ashamed at myself for the racial thoughts I have had in the past. As a novice in education, I appreciated this class because I need to learn how to negate those racial assumptions, I think of.

People are people no matter where they come from or what they look like. What I need to become more aware of is that, those who are not “just” must have a background that has affected their ability to be respectful and hard working. It could be their family life or the neighborhood they live in. How we are brought up and the people we surround ourselves influences us. Any race could decide to hang out with the drug dealer on the corner or cross the street and go to school. Race does not have anything to do with the decision that person makes.

In a perfect world: reflecting on the race, ethnicity, and discrimination

In a perfect world: Reflecting on the race, ethnicity, and discrimination

By Anne Marie Ancona
EDI 600 Psychological Foundation of Education

School of Education
Long Island University, C. W. Post
February 24, 2009

This class was so informative. I felt that it had such a strong message. I really enjoy this classroom. I feel that it is a class where we discuss real issues and how they affect the classroom setting. Watching the video was so amazing. I have never seen anyone tackle the issue of race in that matter. I felt it was so clever to indirectly make students understand how African American students felt at the time. It was wonderful because it made students become aware of the issue of race and how it affects a students performance in class. Most people generally don't understand how racism can affect a persons' performance.

This video A Class Divided gave a very clear description of how it negatively affects students. It lowers their confidence levels and made them not want to try because they are already told that they aren't smart enough. This message has such a powerful message. It really opened my eyes as to how important it is to never judge someone based on their race. Race has nothing to do with a persons ability or the type of person you are.

I wonder what a world without stereotyping would be like. Why is it necessary for people to be placed in a race? Why does it matter? In many forms that people fill out you always have to check a box as to where you belong. I feel this is so pointless because why should that matter. It doesn't qualify you any more or less.

I think that classifying people into a specific "box" is not necessary. It shouldn't matter what your background is, everyone should be treated equally. I think the world would be a much better place if everyone would realize that race says nothing about a person and people shouldn't stereotype. Putting someone down based on their skin color is ridiculous.

No one should ever put a person down ever, it only magnifies their own insecurities because they feel the need to put down people. I hope that one day we can see a day were race isn't something we judge or stereotype with, I hope one day people won't have to check a "box" and that race won't affect the jobs people hold, the way people are treated in schools, etc. People should be judged on their personal characteristics, not their physical ones.

Racism & discrimination: Will they disappear in the future?

Racism & discrimination: Will they disappear in the future?

By Keisha Adamson-Kogle
EDI 600 Psychological Foundation of Education

School of Education
Long Island University, C. W. Post
February 25, 2009

What was fascinating for me in today’s class is how much we learnt about each others ethnicities and culture. I think in completing that cross-over activity was very successful informatively. We all learnt about each others culture and the misconceptions that one might have about each ethnicity and or culturally. Discrimination does in some shape or form places a strain on ones learning, because of the negative effect that it has on some people. It can ruin your confidence and self esteem and I think each individual has something negative or positive to say about another ethnicity or their cultural values.

I know for me, my race has been ridiculed, enslaved and treated unfairly for more than two centuries. Though for me discrimination does not place a barrier on my learning, for others it might and that includes children especially if the family values are not strong enough or there is no one to motivate and encourage them. For my race we have endured a lot considerably. However, as we attempted to bring clarity to those misconceptions, we are a race that is resilient, hard working, intelligent and most of all proud of our heritage, accomplishments and to where we are today.

The video, a class divided showed how influenced children can be. All it took was a simple experiment to establish a sense of how hurtful discrimination can be for another race or ethnicity. Those children felt unappreciated, an outcast, sad, mad because of the things they had to endure when labeled. That film really touched the core of my soul..........and to think discrimination was not something they were actually and physically experiencing on a daily basis because of who they were or the color of their skin; what about those that actually faced it. How do they feel? It leaves your pondering; this stigma will never go away. There is always going to be some form of discrimination towards someone or group of people. I think as a society we have learned and have adapted to co-habitating with each other and because of that, we have more or less learned how to socialize and accept each ethnicity for who they are.

Jewish: Is it an ethnicity, a culture, or religion?

By Melissa Pfeffer
EDI 600 Psychological Foundation of Education

School of Education
Long Island University, C. W. Post
February 25, 2009

Yesterday in class we had an interesting discussion about culture, racism, and prejudice. We started by breaking up into groups based on race and ethnicity. In my group we debated whether Judaism was a religion or a culture. Many in the group (including myself) feel it is a religion. We felt that since the Jews do not have a specific place by which they can trace back their roots it makes more sense to label them a religion than an ethnicity. When asked about their background many in the group were unable to give a response. This just provides a further explanation of why many Jews will just associate themselves with religion versus trying to describe hundreds of years of wandering around Europe

Personally I believe that ethnicity should be explained independently of religion. When someone asks me what I am I will say that I am American because that is the country in which I was born. However, if asked what my background is I will say where my family is from, but never state that I am Jewish because to me that is a religion and not a culture. If someone asked me about my religious faith then I would feel comfortable stating that I am Jewish.

It was interesting to hear exactly how similar most of our backgrounds are when we discussed the different stereotypes of ethnicities and cultures. It just shows that no matter what religion you believe in, race you are a part of, or ethnicity you are descended from, many of our ideals are strikingly the same.

This topic did bring up something that one of my close friends and I constantly joke about. My friend has a Puerto Rican/Mexican background where as I have a distinct European background. We like to joke how Puerto Ricans and Jews love to have plastic on the furniture or like to purchase tacky clothing. This certainly shows that even being part of a certain culture, race, or religion, you are not immune to poking fun at your own stereotypes.

Jewish: Is it an ethnicity, a culture, or religion?

Jewish: Is it an ethnicity, a culture, or religion?

By Scott Mines
EDI 600 Psychological Foundation of Education

School of Education
Long Island University, C. W. Post
February 24, 2009

Today’s class was very interesting and informative as usual. I really enjoyed the exercise on stereotypes in certain groups and liked the format. To be able to discuss, ask questions, and speak to each other civilly on the subject of race, religion and background was great.

However, I had a different idea about my group, Jewish ethnicity. There are many sects of Judaism from reform to orthodox. What if I was Jewish by heritage and did not really practice my religion as strictly as others in my group. What if I was really into Buddhism? Is my stereotypical group Jewish or should I be classified as others were? (Italian, Asian, African American or Irish). When someone asks me what I am as far as race, I say Russian and Polish. If they ask me my religion, I say Jewish.

I am proud of my heritage but I have a different perspective on race. I have relatives who were in concentration camps. I will never forget when a great aunt of mine showed me her numbers inked into her arm by the Nazi’s. She told me never forget what this means. I have not forgotten. However my grandparents came from the Russian Steps of Europe. I was told how life was in this area and how they lived. They came through Ellis Island not as Jews, but Russian and Polish.

As far as how did my stereotype affect my learning, I do not think there was a problem with that. In growing up on Long Island there were many Jewish students in all the schools I attended. I was motivated through tremendous parental support. My self-esteem and confidence were not affected at all by stereotyping.

I would like people to have a greater understanding of the Holocaust. My father fought in World War Two. He stated that most people, including the military did not know about concentration camps and how Jews were being exterminated by the millions. I believe is it important for students and the public alike to know the true history of what occurred. I believe this matter of persecution relates to all races and ethnicity. The Catholics were persecuted during the Crusades as well as in Roman times. African Americans were persecuted through slavery. We could go on and on.

We speak of being proud of our race and ethnicity, but it does not define us as a person as our poems suggested. I am a husband, father, American, spiritual, and enjoy my life whatever stereotypes are cast on me.

My race & me: Reflecting of my racial identity

My race & me: Reflecting of my racial identity

By Beautiful Cloud
EDI 600 Psychological Foundation of Education

School of Education
Long Island University, C. W. Post
February 25, 2009

It’s always difficult being a minority and knowing that any and all actions made by you will be a reflection of your race. And although I have lived with this my entire life, as an adult, I feel this pressure has greatly multiplied. The pressure is felt, not in the sense I must try to become another race or that I must set an extraordinary example for my race, but that I must remember that I am a representation of myself. As myself I must remind people of different races that I am a cultural product of America, just like they are, and at the same time I must preserve my culture and my heritage.

Today’s cross-over exercise was an excellent activity that allowed me to self-reflect. It really made me think once more about who I am, how I became the person I am today, and how I affect others around me.

By answering the questions, point after point, I was able to remember, more vividly, who I was. I was reminded how the forefathers of our race came to this foreign country and struggled to create an identity for us. And this current identity we have, regardless of it being, positive or negative, should not be taken for granted. I realized that if I wanted to correctly portray my race, I must first learn more about my culture and carefully, without bias, teach others around me.

But the most important fact that I was reaffirmed with today was that as much as my race and culture is important so are the race and cultures of other people. In order to gain appreciation we must first appreciate. By appreciating, we must take the initial steps to learn more about each other and their cultures. Only then will we fully understand ourselves.

Inclusion? Exclusion? Examining the inclusion policy

By Louiza Mark
EDI 600 Psychological Foundation of Education

School of Education
Long Island University, C. W. Post
February 25, 2009

I believe that inclusion is a very delicate issue. Because there are so many different classifications involved in labeling children to require special needs, it does not seem fair to take a definitive stand on the issue either pro or anti. A child can merely have mood swings that require medication and be labeled “special needs.” does that mean that the child should not be mainstreamed? I think not.

In order to truly be objective and have an opinion on inclusion two factors have to be analyzed. They are:

1. Redefining and re-educating about special education so that it encompasses all spectrums of special needs and not limit itself to the “traditional” mentally retarded students. In the past we would seclude special education classrooms to the deep bowels of the building and literally shun all the children. Things have changed remarkably in the past 15 to 20 years.

Special education encompasses an entire array of disorders and challenges that should all be thoroughly examined and explained to all personnel involved with teaching the children who possess such needs. A child that has a mobility issue is part of the special education community. He/she will have an IEP and specific instructions that need to be followed in order to make his/her day more accessible. Therefore, it is imperative that all educators are educated in the current reality of special education and the wide spectrum of conditions that it comprises.

2. Accepting the obligation as educators to differentiate our instruction for all of our students. By having a special needs child in our classroom we would have to follow certain guidelines in order to ensure the smooth transition of the student into a mainstream classroom. The same should be done for all of our students. We are obligated to understand how each and every one of them learns and what they each need. By doing so we are able to cater to all of their needs and enable them to advance in their academic careers with vigor and satisfaction. Every classroom has a special needs student because all children have special needs. In their own way they need some specific type of attention, demeanor, approach, and acknowledgment. To categorize or to exempt just one as special needs does a tremendous disservice to rest of the student body.

With the exception of severely mentally disabled children, I believe that all students have a right to a mainstream education no matter what their condition. Because in the end, we all as human beings have some type of “quirk” that needs tending to by a professional, and that in and of itself should not deny us the right to a decent education and an attempt to a normal life without any parameters. I feel that inclusion has existed since the dawn of education and that it is not a recent phenomenon.

Tracking? Grouping Examining the impact of tracking on student learning

Tracking? Grouping Examining the impact of tracking on student learning

By Donna Brody
EDI 600 Psychological Foundation of Education

School of Education
Long Island University, C. W. Post
February 26, 2009

One of the topics discussed in chapter 6 that I’ve always had interest in is that of tracking. It is true that my opinions are not based on scientific fact. My opinions are based on my own experience in school and those of my children who are currently in 8th and 11th grades.

I have always been a proponent of tracking. In the 1960’s and 1970’s, tracking worked out just fine for me. I was in the honors classes and got a good education. Now, however, as a parent of a 17 year old who is a good student and a 13 year old who is a struggling student, I thought I could judge more fairly. My younger son had school anxiety when he was younger. Eventually, he got over his anxiety, but felt he could never be successful and lost his motivation. I always felt if he had been tracked into an appropriate class, he’d have experienced success and be more motivated today. He’s entering high school where there is tracking and I’m hoping he will experience success when in classes with students with similar abilities. Certainly for the student with more ability, tracking offers many advantages too. My 17 year old can take honors classes in the subjects he enjoys and excels in while being in an average foreign language class, which has always been harder for him. I just felt that tracking was the answer for both of these very different students.

Upon reading the scientific facts, however, I am trying to open my eyes to other options. Of the four types of ability grouping, only two types have shown positive effects. The Joplin Plan was found to have moderately positive effects compared to heterogeneous classes. This is regrouping for specific subjects, usually math and reading, across grade levels. It seems to me to be a very difficult and impractical plan to institute in a school. Within-class ability grouping has been studied for grades 1-12 in math and science and also been found to produce modestly positive result.

I think within- class ability grouping would be something I would favor as a teacher. It would require a balancing act of working with one group while having the other group occupied with some independent type of work. If this is the only way (other than the Joplin Plan) to do ability grouping fairly and successfully, however, I think it is well worth the effort.

My role model, my motivation, my inspiration

By Ilyssa Adelman
EDI 17 Psychology & Development of Adolescent Students

School of Education
Long Island University, C. W. Post
February 25, 2009

One person who has had a significant impact in my life is my best friend since 7th grade. We had gone to middle school together since 6th grade but did not become friends until 7th grade when we joined the same club at school. We became close friends right away and have been best friends ever since. What I admire about this person is that she is not afraid to try something new and to pursue her goals or hobbies, even though they are not considered the “norm”. She is also not afraid to speak her opinion especially if she does not agree with what someone has to say. This person has impacted my life by helping be become the person I am today.

When I met this person I had very few friends and was extremely quiet. This person showed me that I did not have to conform to other people’s standards to be liked. She also pushed me to try new things which I probably would not have done if I had not met her. For instance, we went camping all the time with our club, I do not think I would have gone at all had she not encouraged me to come and told me what a great time I would have been missing out on. The last year we went camping, in 12th grade, this friend was not able to go. I still went though because I knew I would be missing out on a fun time had I stayed home, I also knew I did not have to rely on her to be my reason for going anymore. By this point the whole club had formed a close bond.

I think that this person impacted my life more than anyone else because she is different and is proud of who she is. She is also very persuasive and tells me all the time how she has forced me to do things I never would have done. The funny thing about our friendship though is that we really do not have that much in common. This has even become the running joke of our friendship.

Something to Reach For, someone to look up to

Something to Reach For, someone to look up to:
Importance of having a role model in students’ life

By Chris Barone
EDI 17 Psychology & Development of Adolescent Students

School of Education
Long Island University, C. W. Post
March 3, 2009

I really enjoyed today’s activity, during which we shared stories about our role models. This class has always been unique in instilling a sense of community and camaraderie in us, and today’s class was a prime example of that. With each person’s story, the class got a clearer picture of who we are.

It was also inspiring to see students choose teachers as examples. It provided us with living proof of the ramifications of what we are all on the road to become: teachers; mentors; educators; role models. I doubt there is one student who does not wish to become those things. Being a teacher is not as simple as talking at a bunch of kids for 40 minutes a day. It demands that you take extra steps to bring out the best in your students; it demands that you inspire them; it demands that you delve deeply inside of their minds and motivate them. Teachers aim to do this with every student, every day.

Perhaps the most interesting part of the class was the special guest, your role model. It was interesting to see that someone I look up to has a role model. I aspire to be as patient, kind, understanding, and knowledgeable as you, and to see you say, “Everything I am, I owe to this man,” was both surprising and endearing. I had never thought about it, but it makes sense. Perhaps that’s another definition of a role model; they are not necessarily extraordinary people who have already accomplished their goals, but rather ordinary people who are just a little further on their journey than you. This position, being further along, gives students something and someone to reach for, and that is part of what makes a great teacher.

My role model, my motivation, my inspiration

By Eric Morris
EDI 17 Psychology & Development of Adolescent Students

School of Education
Long Island University, C. W. Post
March 3, 2009

I enjoyed today’s discussion on role models. I feel that the job of any teacher regardless of the subject they teach is to serve as a role model for their students. By discussing in class what our role models were it helped us to understand what makes a good role model. A role model is someone has inspiring or motivating traits. Many of the role models that we chose have helped us as students to get to where we are today. The role models we have looked at have in many cases led us to the career as a teacher.

I chose my father as my role model. He has been a very inspirational person in my life. His personality has been to always be motivated to make the best out of the worst of situations. He was a child that grew up in a family that couldn't afford to send him to college. His older brother wasn’t able to go to college and was drafted and sent to Vietnam, where he lost his life. My father's only opportunity to go to college was to enlist in the service himself. Since he had lost his brother in Vietnam, he was guaranteed that he wouldn’t be put in the line of battle.

My dad worked in the Air Force as a hydraulic engineer who repaired and maintained planes. He served for 3 years in Thailand and in return the Air Force helped him to pay for his college tuition at Farmingdale University. It was there that he received his Associates Degree in Electrical Engineering. His struggle to achieve in life was more challenging due to his socio-economic status. This made it much harder for him to achieve the same goals and dreams that many of the students at C.W. Post take for granted. After he graduated from Farmingdale University, he obtained a full time job working for National Grid, where he has been working in the electrical engineering department for over 30 years.

My father always made time in his life to spend time with me and didn’t put work first. Most of my childhood, my father played an active role in encouraging me to do my best. In sports, he not only drove me to many of my soccer, basketball, or track practices. He was at as many of my games and competitions as he could attend. I started sports at age 3 and have continued through college. He cheered me on the sidelines and was there for me if I was injured or disappointed at a game. He also spent quality time with me by taking me on camping and backpacking trips since I was about age 6. He taught me a lot about survival skills and his love of nature.

My father has always been a positive role model in my life and told me that nothing in life comes for free and everything you want in life requires work. He always told me I could be anything I wanted to be if I had the motivation and determination to put the work in that I needed to do. My father told me to not give up and don’t let anything get in the way of achieving your goals. His life story was very motivating in itself because it shows that anything is possible, if you are determined.

A role model is someone that can set a good example for you and is someone that you can look up to. My father is definitely someone that can do that. I need to take some of the values and traits that my father had passed on to me and share them with my fellow students when I am in the classroom.

My role model, my motivation, my inspiration

My role model, my motivation, my inspiration

By Thomas Brouillard
EDI 17 Psychology & Development of Adolescent Students

School of Education
Long Island University, C. W. Post
March 4, 2009

Today’s class was very enjoyable. I thought it was great to dedicate the class to those who we consider role models in our life. Each person’s story was sincere and was interesting to listen to. We were able to see that different people impact our lives but a few have a lasting impact. I found it interesting that there was a diverse group of role models, some were teachers, parents, helpful friends, and others were also included. It helped me get to know my classmates better and understand where they are coming from.

I have had many role models or people that I have either admired or looked up to but the one I chose to speak about in class was my former high school teacher Mrs. Lynch. I felt it was most appropriate to speak about her because she had a profound impact on my academic career. As I stated in class, when I was younger I was learning disabled. At one time this was uncomfortable for me to talk about but not anymore. It doesn’t bother me anymore because I was able to overcome it, which Mrs. Lynch helped me to. She knew I wasn’t academically disabled, rather I learned a little different but could succeed with everyone else.

When I was a freshman in high school half way through the school year my teacher of record was switched. The teacher I was switched to was Mrs. Lynch. She saw the potential and opportunity in me that others did not. She had the confidence that I could succeed in mainstream classes, and even beyond, if given the opportunity. On my behalf she lobbied and was able to get approval to place me in mainstream classes. At the time I remember feeling a lot of pressure, but this was the moment I had waited for since I had been classified learning disabled. She took a chance on me, and it paid off. I worked hard and got good grades.

Looking back if it had not been for her I may have not succeeded as much as I did. She was one of those special teachers. Just like when Ms. Reilly saw the potential in Homer in the movie “October Sky”, Mrs. Lynch saw the potential I had. Now of course I wasn’t trying to build rockets but she certainly stood up for me when others did not feel as enthusiastic about me as she did. That enthusiasm did not stop at academics. She always took time to know what else was going on in my life, good or bad. She always worked hard to help me. This is not to say other teachers I have had were not influential in my life or that I was always overlooked but she didn’t settle with what I was doing, she wanted me to excel to the fullest of my potential.

All teachers should strive for this to help their students. Every teacher should be like her. When we discuss what a teachers role is in students lives and their impact on their growth during adolescents I am always reminded of her and how she helped me. I still stay in contact with her to this day and she tells me that I am one of her success stories. That always meant a lot to me. She is a big reason why I want to become a teacher and I will always appreciate what she did for me.

Does punishment still have its place in today’s school?

Does punishment still have its place in today’s school?

By Nicole Larosa
EDI 15A Psychological Perspective: Teaching & Learning

School of Education
Long Island University, C. W. Post
February 25, 2009

The class on how to motivate a student was pretty interesting. I think both positive and negative reinforcements are pretty equal in being needed. I do think punishment had a place in today's schools. If a child is misbehaving, sometimes ignoring the child does not work. On the other side, continuously telling the child to stop does not work either. There had to be some kind of bad consequence.

When a student does something bad, he should be punished. I think that detention and in school suspension are good punishments. Out of school suspension though, is a bad idea and does not make sense. Why would you make a child stay home as a punishment? Most kids do not want to wake up early and go to school anyway. This kind of suspension is like doing the student a favor; the student will not see it as a punishment, but as a vacation.

Punishments are also needed because when the student does something good and is rewarded for it, he will see that being good had a better consequence than being bad. We need both praise and punishment so that the child can compare his own behaviors and decide which is better for himself. The student will most likely see that praise and good behavior is better. The praise a teacher gives a student is also an incentive for the student to do well and work hard in the future.

Elaborative rehearsal: The importance of teaching based on how our memory works

By Chelsea Winter
EDI 15A Psychological Perspective: Teaching & Learning

School of Education
Long Island University, C. W. Post
March 3, 2009

Today we learned about the information processing theory. I was especially interested in the rehearsal stage of this theory. I think the elaborative rehearsal stage of converting short-term knowledge into long-term memories should be taught to all types of students, not just prospective educators and psychology researchers. One of the biggest struggles I have as a student is remembering information, and if I took a class about different memory strategies, my memory would improve. Understanding these study tactics allows us to understand the brain, which is half the battle to remembering information.

Music teachers need to teach study strategies as well as any other teachers, and yet many fail to do so. My current violin teacher is very specific about HOW I should practice a passage and this leads to a greater success while practicing. I had never had this kind of guidance before I started studying with this teacher, and it has made a huge difference in my playing.

If a teacher doesn't teach his or her students how to practice or study, the students might not have developed successful study habits and will practice or try to learn something over and over without successful results. Standardized test preparation should also include this type of study guidance and students will probably be able to recall and remember information more easily.

Are you Ms. Forgetful? Understanding how our memory works?

By Nicole Larosa
EDI 15A Psychological Perspective: Teaching & Learning

School of Education
Long Island University, C. W. Post
March 3, 2009

I really enjoyed Tuesday's class when we learned about memory. My favorite part of class was the warm-up exercise where we learned some Chinese. I will definitely remember most of the words because I found them very interesting and fun to learn! Hopefully I will be able to learn the Chinese language in my lifetime.

I think that my memory is good. I only remember things that are important to me or things that I find very interesting. However, I was definitely able to remember more information before I got into a car accident and got a concussion. The doctor said my head is fine, but I know something is different. So sometimes I get annoyed when I cannot remember things even when I try to. I've found that I had to change my study habits. I can no longer just listen to the teacher and remember things. Now, I have to write down what the teacher says also. I can be a very selective learner at times. If I do not like something I will not pay attention to it, ignore it, and not learn it until someone forces me to. So, I actually learned about myself in today's class.

Everything I remember does depend on if I pay attention, encode the information and then practice it. However, I am not organized, so that might be a bad thing... I think that everyone should learn how their memory works, it is such an amazing process. The brain is a really interesting part of our body. How can something so small have unlimited storage space? I wonder if a similar process is used in an animals brain because pets seem to be able to learn their own names and remember them for a long time.

How to motivate high school students to learn?

By Eric Morris
EDI 17 Psychology & Development of Adolescent Students

School of Education
Long Island University, C. W. Post
February 24, 2009

I enjoyed discussing different types of motivation that I can use in my classroom. There were two main types of motivation types that we talked about in class. The first one was intrinsic motivation and extrinsic motivation. Extrinsic motivation can be in the form of a reward or praise for doing well in task. Many teachers abuse extrinsic motivation which in the end can harm the students if they can’t find a way to become self motivated to learn on their own and have their own goals for themselves.

In high school I considered myself self motivated to do well in school and I wanted to excel so I would be able to attend a good college. I was motivated to achieve and push myself and this allowed me to achieve my goals.

There are some kids that do need extra help in getting motivated to achieve. I find that extrinsic help can be useful but in the end a student has to be self motivated and believe in themselves to be able to achieve. The best way to motivate students to get them to have high self-confidence and make them feel that they can really excel if they put the work in. If students see that the reward for hard work is worth the effort they will be more likely to put the effort in. To do this teachers have to show an interest in what they are teaching and try to explain to their class why their class is interesting to learn about and how they will benefit from it. Teachers can be the key ingredient to a students success in the classroom because if they can find a way to motivate the student about learning about the subject matter. It will be so much easier to reach the student and teach them what they need to learn to achieve.

Peer relationship & Learning: Helping our students make the right friends

By Thomas Brouillard
EDI 17 Psychology & Development of Adolescent Students

School of Education
Long Island University, C. W. Post
February 27, 2009

Today’s class was very creative and interesting. I liked the class assignment that we participated in. The “graffiti” activity was very fun and unique. We were each placed into different groups and had to answer one question listened. Then after time was up we were given a different group’s graffiti paper and had to add to it. I think this worked very well in showing how the class had both common and different opinions to each question asked.

This was a perfect example of thinking outside the box in the classroom. While at first it seemed a little crazy, the activity got everyone motivated to speak and voice their opinions, some of which were very creative. As a teacher this is the type of environment and reaction you want to get from your students. It was a great way to show how far creativity can go in the classroom while getting the day’s theme across to the class.

This lesson also helped steer us into an important aspect of the classroom, peer relations. During this activity we had to work with each other, and it helps you become more comfortable with the classmates you may not know as well. With adolescents it is always important to promote strong peer relations. That doesn’t always mean pairing students with their friends. Sometimes it is good to separate them from their normal group and help them make new friends and branch out.

When I was an adolescent in high school I was lucky to have many different friends. I was not necessarily in the stereotypical “popular group” but I had friends in many different groups.
In the beginning I would tend to stay within my circle of best friends, but as I got older I branched out more and that helped my social and maturity growth. When I was in high school though I had one group that I felt most connected with. We were all on a sports team together, and for most of those in the group, my friendship with them dated back well before high school. I still consider these three-four friends my best friends to this day. Some people lose contact with their friends from high school, but not me. We always had a lot in common and we all have been through a lot together, so it doesn’t surprise me that we are still close.

Although today when I see people I went to high school with and was not friends with at that time, we usually say hello and have a nice conversation, where as in high school we would pass each other in the hallway like the other person wasn’t even there. This doesn’t surprise me because as people mature they are more comfortable branching out. This is why I believe it is important for teachers to help improve relations among their students, the more friends they make, the faster they mature and the more they grow into an adult.

Smile: Importance of staying positive when working with adolescents

By Christopher Barone
EDI 17 Psychology & Development of Adolescent Students

School of Education
Long Island University, C. W. Post
February 27, 2009

Last class was really illuminating, I found. Six groups worked together to answer questions about how adolescents build, sustain, and behave in relationships with other peers. One theme common throughout all the groups’ findings was being positive. This may seem like common sense, but it effects much of who the adolescent is and how we, as teachers, can reach them.

Adolescence is a chaotic time in anyone’s life, and it’s not always easy to keep a smiling face when one’s body, friendships, loyalties, emotions, and values are all changing. The class exercise yesterday showed that teachers can help their students by a being an eternally positive influence to them. While many people try to label adolescents – geeks, theater kids, jocks, cheerleads – it may be refreshing to them if teachers encourage them to break out of those rules and simply be themselves. Speaking from experience, students react strongly to teachers who reject such notions. By utilizing our classrooms as a safe haven from stereotypes as well as criticisms, we can boost their self-esteem and promote the formation of healthy, positive relationships with their peers.

Students seek relationships that provide encouragement and confidence, but at that age, it is difficult for them to determine if what they are being encouraged to do is a good thing. By being positive, calming, and reassuring forces in their student’s lives, teachers can have a tremendous impact on an adolescent’s life. Sometimes, all it takes is a smile.

From high school to college: A reflection of my motivation change

From high school to college: A reflection of my motivation change

By Scott Fialkoff
EDI 15A Psychological Perspective: Teaching & Learning

School of Education
Long Island University, C. W. Post
March 3, 2009

I feel that I possess great study habits, because I am very committed to my work and schooling. Not too many people receive the opportunity to get a college education. I am very fortunate to have this chance. In high school I was a good student but I was not that committed to studying. I always did my homework, but I did not consistently review my notes.

As a college student I have completely changed my methods of studying. When I learn a topic in class I try to review the text book and notes that I have on that subject consistently. It does not matter if the test was announced or not. Many students either choose not to study at all or wait till the last minute to study. I could not function like these individuals. My mother has taught me to always review my notes consistently. This method has worked for me because it gets me to really understand the knowledge and information that I am receiving from my classes. Also my GPA is excellent because of my dedication to my work. I would not change my method of studying because it has been very successful for me.

Useful links

The following links are provided by the generous readers of JOCTL! We sincerely thank them for sharing!

Judy Armes said...: I agree that "intrinsic" motivation is probably the factor that will most impact a kid's involvement and success in school. The trick is to find ways in which the student can feel good about his/her accomplishment. This would be a good forum topic to find out what high school teachers do that works.
Thanks for bringing it up, again.
Judy Armes "TheHomeworkCoach"
http://www.homeworksuccessnetwork.com
-----------------

Hi,; I think you and your readers might love this new mnemonics creation site:
http://www.joglab.com
I'm looking for some volunteers to help out at the moment- if any of your readers has a particular interest in mnemonics and a couple of spare hours to help please email me (danofweaver@googlemail.com).; Dan Weaver
Nottingham, United Kingdom
Dan, a life- loving bloke, is a research associate at Nottingham Uni, holds degrees from Leeds, Coventry & Nottingham and has particular love for: sustainable development, disaster management, neural-networks, efficient learning, human memory & geographical information science (GIS).
-------------------: Hello -

I write for our blog and I hear readers referring to a post of yours from time to time - which is what brought me to contacting you.We are headed to Seattle to blog at the NSBA's T+L Conference. Would you be interested in mentioning our posts in your blog?

Our blog is at:http://www.iqinnovations.org/educational-technology/

Keep up the good work on the blog and we'll keep reading it!

Sincerely,
Teresa Berry
IQity
Seattle Real Estate Agent

´´´´´´´´´´´´´´´´´´´´´´´´´´´´´´´´´´´´´´´´´´´´´´´´
You make some good links here.
However, I also think that this can be helpful to you:
Go to: http://www.panix.com/~pro-ed/

If you get this book and video: PREVENTING Classroom Discipline Problems, [they are in many libraries, so you don't have to buy them] email me and I can refer you to the sections of the book and the video [that demonstrates the effective vs. the ineffective teacher] that can help you.

[I also teach an online course on these issues that may be helpful to you at:
http://www.blogger.com/www.ClassroomManagementOnline.com ]

If you cannot get the book or video, email me and I will try to help.
Best regards,

Howard

Howard Seeman, Ph.D.
Professor Emeritus,
City Univ. of New York

Prof. Seeman
Hokaja@aol.com
http://www.blogger.com/www.ClassroomManagementOnline.com
------------------------------------------------
A collection of remotely-accessible, online library resources provided by Dr. Red Owl

This is web page with a menu of library links related to education, teaching and learning, educational psychology, counseling and development, educational technology, educational policy, education law, educational leadership and educational research (including testing and measurement). It includes links to major periodicals search engines; selected academic journals and professional periodicals for browsing; scholarly and general textbooks (via ebrary); selected yearbooks, encyclopedias and annuals; citation indexes; periodicals' directories (such as Cabell's); and APA citation style guidelines and examples. The menu page also includes instructions (and a web form) for creating persistent links to LIU's online library resources.

* Links to almost 500 selected browsable scholarly journals and professional periodicals related to education: http://journals.edlibrary.net

* Link to a service to find whether specific journals are available at LIU:

* Link to Ebrary (an electronic library offering access to more than 25,000 books from such major publishers as John Wiley & Sons, McGraw-Hill, Prentice Hall, Random House, Taylor & Francis, Yale University Press, Greenwood, etc.).

* Link to more than 30 education-related encyclopedias, yearbooks and annuals:

* Link to check the status of one's library account

* Link to APA citation style guidelines and examples

* Link to a web form for creating persistent links to online articles and books

The above links are provided by Dr. Red Owl
Red Owl
R. H. Red Owl, Ph.D., Professor of Education
Department of Educational Leadership & Administration
and Department of Educational Technology
School of Education
Long Island University, C. W. Post Campus

------------------------------------------------
A classroom observation software: eCOVE Software Provided by Dr. John Tenny
eCOVE was created by Dr. John Tenny. It is a software program that collects objective data during an observation. If it would be of use to students who are doing classroom observations. The students can download a trial version (the full version that runs for 30 days). With it, they can do objective research at no cost (just limit the data collection to a 30 day period). I hope it adds to the experience of your students.

Peace, John
Professor Emeritus of Education
Willamette University
Pacific City,Oregon
United States
------------------------------------------------
Discipline management link: http://www.panix.com/~pro-ed/ provided by Dr. Seeman

If you get this book and video: PREVENTING Classroom Discipline Problems, [they are in many libraries, so you don't have to buy them] email me and I can refer you to the sections of the book and the video [that demonstrates the effective vs. the ineffective teacher] that can help you.

[I also teach an online course on these issues that may be helpful to you at:
http://www.classroommanagementonline.com/

If you cannot get the book or video, email me and I will try to help.
Best regards,

Howard

Howard Seeman, Ph.D.
Professor Emeritus,
City University of New York
------------------------------------------------
Parenting link: http://www.alankazdin.com/ Provided by Dr. Alan Kazdin

By the way, in case you know individuals parenting young children--evidence-based parenting for normal challenges of everyday life. Please peek at http://www.alankazdin.com/. Thanks.
-
Best wishes,
-
Alan
-
Alan E. Kazdin
John M. Musser Professor of Psychology at Yale University
Director of Yale's Parenting Center and Child Conduct Clinic
President of the American Psychological Association (APA)
------------------------------------------------
All kinds of fun games/activities: Provided by Ms. Mary Couzin

It is true that many of the traditional games are static as you say, but the new/modern and the eurostyle games are quite different. I think you will find them interesting, fun and fresh play every time as in many cases the board is ever-changing.

Have fun!

Mary Couzin
Founder of the Chicago Toy and Game Fair
Inventor of Hollywood's Reel Schpeel
mary@discovergames.com

JOCTL Feedback

Your approach to education is exciting. I wish I had young children for you to teach. Good luck in your graduate studies.

Anonymous reader

-------------------
Dr. Sanford Aranoff said...

A lot of stuff about learning, interactions, etc. When it comes to math or science, we must understand how students think, their pre-conceived ideas, etc., and build from there. See "Teaching and Helping Students Think and Do Better" on amazon.

Dr. Sanford Aranoff
Professor of Mathematics
Rider University
Lawrenceville, NJ
http://www.analysis-knowledge.com/

-------------------
Hi,

I think you and your readers might love this new mnemonics creation site:
http://www.joglab.com
I'm looking for some volunteers to help out at the moment- if any of your readers has a particular interest in mnemonics and a couple of spare hours to help please email me (danofweaver@googlemail.com).
Dan Weaver
Nottingham, United Kingdom
Dan, a life- loving bloke, is a research associate at Nottingham Uni, holds degrees from Leeds, Coventry & Nottingham and has particular love for: sustainable development, disaster management, neural-networks, efficient learning, human memory & geographical information science (GIS).

-------------------

Hello -

I write for our blog and I hear readers referring to a post of yours from time to time - which is what brought me to contacting you.We are headed to Seattle to blog at the NSBA's T+L Conference. Would you be interested in mentioning our posts in your blog?

Our blog is at:http://www.iqinnovations.org/educational-technology/

Keep up the good work on the blog and we'll keep reading it!

Sincerely,
Teresa Berry
President, IQity
Seattle Real Estate Agent

-----------------------------------------

Thank you for sharing your understanding of "How to be a great teacher?" Your role models: Erikson, Piaget, & Vygotsky would be proud of your discussion.

As we all can see by the Journal of Classroom Teaching & Learning blog, the computer is a great tool for us to listen, read, respond, and learn together.

Thank you for sharing your learning and enriching our knoweledge.

Roberta Levitt
Assistant Professor of Education
Curriculum & Instruction
School of Education
Long Island University, C.W.Post
-----------------------------------------
Congratulations, Dengting!
This is such a brilliant idea.
You are making research more real to your students.

Well done!

Efleda

Dr. Efleda Tolentino
Assistant Professor of Education
Curriculum & Instruction
School of Education
Long Island University, C.W.Post
------------------------------------------------
Dear Dr. Dengting Boyaton & Students,

Until I can write more, thank you for the exciting writing that you shared.

Roberta

Dr. Roberta Levitt
Assistant Professor
Department of Special Education & Literacy
School of Education
C. W. Post Campus of Long Island University
------------------------------------------------
Thanks for sharing. Very nice way of having the class interact amongst them selves.

Isaac Oddoye
Information Analyst
School of Education
Long Island University
------------------------------------------------
I love this idea. What a great way to make your course processes visible to others.

Dr. Joan Walker
Assistant Professor
Curriculum & Instruction
School of Education
Long Island University, C. W. Post Campus
------------------------------------------------

Hello Dr. Boyanton,

I love this idea and will share it with our music education students who are involved in our Rompertunes Early Childhood Music Teaching and Learning Partnership. Hopefully we can get something going.

Best,

Dr. Jennifer Miceli,
Director of Music Education
School of Education
Long Island University, C. W. Post Campus
------------------------------------------------

Dengting,

Your online Journal Classroom Teaching & Learning is a wonderful resource, and I want to congratulate you for your vision in creating this opportunity for your students and bringing it to LIU.

Welcome to LIU and the C. W. Post Campus School of Education! I'm delighted that you have joined our faculty, and I look forward to working with you.

Cheers,

Red Owl
---
R. H. Red Owl, Ph.D., Professor of Education
Department of Educational Leadership & Administration
and Department of Educational Technology
School of Education
Long Island University, C. W. Post Campus

------------------------------------------------
As an Editor of three refereed journals, the last being the Journal of Counseling & Development (2002-2008), the flagship journal of the American Counseling Association, I send you warm congratulations and much success with your SOE journal.

Dr. Scott McGowan
Professor

Dept. of Counseling and Development

School of Education

Long Island University, C. W.Post

------------------------------------------------
Your work is very inspiring and your students are having a grand experience. At the university where I was director of the School of Education until retirement we had a similar 'Leadership Experience' that brought to our students great personal awareness of their own growth and capabilities.

A side note: after retirement I wrote a software program that collects objective data during an observation. If it would be of use to your students, they can download a trial version (the full version that runs for 30 days). With it, they can do objective research at no cost (just limit the data collection to a 30 day period). I hope it adds to the experience of your students.

eCOVE Software

Peace, John
John Tenny, Ph.D.
Professor Emeritus of Education
Willamette University
Pacific City,Oregon
United States
------------------------------------------------
You make some good points above.
However, I also think that this can be helpful to you:
Go to: http://www.panix.com/~pro-ed/

If you get this book and video: PREVENTING Classroom Discipline Problems, [they are in many libraries, so you don't have to buy them] email me and I can refer you to the sections of the book and the video [that demonstrates the effective vs. the ineffective teacher] that can help you.

[I also teach an online course on these issues that may be helpful to you at:
http://www.classroommanagementonline.com/

If you cannot get the book or video, email me and I will try to help.
Best regards,

Howard

Howard Seeman, Ph.D.
Professor Emeritus,
City University of New York

------------------------------------------------

Dear Dengting,

Great to look at your web page and see wonderful accomplishments! Keep up the great work.

By the way, in case you know individuals parenting young children--evidence-based parenting for normal challenges of everyday life. Please peek at http://www.alankazdin.com/. Thanks.

Best wishes,

Alan

Dr. Alan E. Kazdin

John M. Musser Professor of Psychology at Yale University

Director of Yale's Parenting Center and Child Conduct Clinic

President of the American Psychological Association (APA)

------------------------------------------------

Congratulations, Dengting!

What a creative undertaking to begin your own journal.

Best wishes for a productive spring!

Harrold Strang

Professor

Educational Psychology

Curry School of Education

University of Virginia, Charlottesville

------------------------------------------------

Dengting,

Congratulations on starting your journal.

All the best,

Kurt Fischer

Charles Warland Bigelow Professor
Cognitive Development & Learning

Harvard Graduate School of Education

Harvard University

------------------------------------------------

Hi Dengting,

From my perspective, the Journal of Classroom Teaching & Learning is truly a wonderful thing to see happen in our school of education. You have done a superb job in this regard. This effort is definitely contributing to the University community.

I wish you the best. Thank you very much for your time.

Sam

Cheng-Chang (Sam) Pan

Associate Professor

Curriculum & Instruction

School of Education

University of Texas at Brownsville

------------------------------------------------

Thaks for doing this Dengting. I know how much work it takes, but the papers give us such insight to our students and life here in B'ville.

Betsy Price

Support Office for Part Time Faculty

University of Texas Brownsville Texas Southmost College

------------------------------------------------

Dengting:

Wow!! I find your integration of technology, pedagogy and content exceptional. Your project is a great idea! I'm interested in doing something similar for educational leadership.

Dr. Chuey Abrego
Assistant Professor
Educational Leadership

University of Texas at Brownsville
------------------------------------------------
I certainly enjoy the JOCTL, Dengting!

Dr. Michael Sullivan
Associate Professor

Curriculum & Instruction
School of Education

University of Texas at Brownsville

------------------------------------------------
Dengting,

I love this. Have you thought about asking your students to do a little survey of other college students as to their perceptions related to this (motivation)? Might be interesting.

Dr. Gayle L. Brogdon
Dean
School of Education

University of Texas at Brownsville

------------------------------------------------
Dengting,

I just wanted to comment that I’m very impressed with you work regarding the electronic journal. I hope to post some comments soon!

Take care,

Dr. Manuel Zamarripa
Assistant Professor

Counseling Psychology
School of Education

University of Texas at Brownsville

------------------------------------------------
Hi Dengting!

I want to commend you on the nice journal. I clicked and found it. It looks very professional, and it will be helpful to our students. I’m sure your students learn the writing process through it, also. Congrats!

Dr. Kathy Bussert-Webb
Assistant Professor

Curriculum & Instruction
School of Education

University of Texas at Brownsville

------------------------------------------------
Thanks for your time and effort - and well done with the blog!

David Pike
TTT Tech Specialist

University of Texas at Brownsville

------------------------------------------------
Dengting,

I enjoyed reading the journals and the honest comments from the students. This is a great idea.

Dr. Sandra Murillo Sutterby
Assistant Professor

Curriculum & Instruction
School of Education

University of Texas at Brownsville

------------------------------------------------
What an excellent idea!

Dr. Terry Overton
Associate Professor

Special Education
School of Education

University of Texas at Brownsville

------------------------------------------------
I like the idea of your blog. It's a good idea and should be good for a professional journal article.

Dr. Yvonne S. Freeman
Professor

Curriculum & Instruction
School of Education

University of Texas at Brownsville

------------------------------------------------
This subject is very interesting to me since I work with the part time faculty here at UTB. Professors are just as anxious as students.

Betsy Price,
Support Office for Part Time Faculty
University of Texas Brownsville Texas Southmost College
------------------------------------------------
It is true that many of the traditional games are static as you say, but the new/modern and the eurostyle games are quite different. I think you will find them interesting, fun and fresh play every time as in many cases the board is ever-changing.

Have fun!

Mary Couzin
Founder of the Chicago Toy and Game Fair
Inventor of Hollywood's Reel Schpeel
mary@discovergames.com

Journal of Classroom Teaching & Learning

Wednesday, March 4, 2009

Greetings from the editor

Table of Contents

In a perfect world: A reflection on racism and discrimination

In a perfect world: reflecting on the race, ethnicity, and discrimination

Racism & discrimination: Will they disappear in the future?

Jewish: Is it an ethnicity, a culture, or religion?

Jewish: Is it an ethnicity, a culture, or religion?

My race & me: Reflecting of my racial identity

Inclusion? Exclusion? Examining the inclusion policy

Tracking? Grouping Examining the impact of tracking on student learning

My role model, my motivation, my inspiration

Something to Reach For, someone to look up to

My role model, my motivation, my inspiration

My role model, my motivation, my inspiration

Does punishment still have its place in today’s school?

Elaborative rehearsal: The importance of teaching based on how our memory works

Are you Ms. Forgetful? Understanding how our memory works?

How to motivate high school students to learn?

Peer relationship & Learning: Helping our students make the right friends

Smile: Importance of staying positive when working with adolescents

From high school to college: A reflection of my motivation change

Useful links

JOCTL Feedback

4th CESTL

Copyright © Dr. Dengting Boyanton Assistant Professor of Education 2008

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