Journal of Classroom Teaching & Learning: 2009-05-24

Tuesday, May 26, 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 550/551 Psychology of Adolescents, and the graduate course EDI 600 Psychological Foundation of Education at the School of Education, Long Island University, C. W. Post, Brookville, New York.

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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Anticipation: Friend or Foe?

By Lisa Pratt
EDI 600 Psychological Foundation of Education

School of Education
Long Island University, C. W. Post

May 19, 2009

I approached my first graduate class in education with the type of anticipation usually reserved for husbands of expectant wives who are past their due date. Technically, the tough times were behind me: I was a returning adult student who had recently received an undergraduate degree. I mastered commuting for early morning classes, fetal pig dissections and group projects with AWOL participants. Why, at this juncture, was I crippling myself with worry when I had arrived at the last leg of the race?

In reality, I was finally in a class where everyone was focused and motivated; eager to do well. However, I was convinced that I was the only student who had never set foot into an education class, let alone one at a graduate level. Surely everyone had already written lesson plans, discussed the pros and cons of inclusion, and written several papers on educational pedagogy, while all I had to contribute was information I had gleaned as a class parent and a participant in endless parent/teacher conferences.

In short: I was anticipating being revealed as a fraud. I conjured up meetings with my counselor who would tell me, regretfully, that I belonged in another field of study. The more I tried to focus on the positive – I was in a classroom with people who had the same goals as I did and were focused on learning – the more active the butterflies in my stomach became. It actually began to feel more like a dream from high school: my best friend agrees to meet me outside the cafeteria on the first day of school but she never appears and I have to slink over to a vacant table and sit by myself.

By the time class began and Dr. Boyanton began explaining the “Name Game,” I realized that I can not eliminate “first day of school” feelings entirely but I can use them to understand life in front of and behind the teacher’s desk. As an educator I will be meeting a new group of students every year and we will all be anticipating similar feelings of inadequacy. However, I will reflect on what I learned when I walked into the classroom on Monday night. Time spent memorizing my student’s names, monitoring my references to make sure they are not dated, emphasizing the belief that teachers and students want to do well and be thought of as a reliable part of a team. I will strive to observe body language by placing students in a non-threatening environment (e.g. sitting in a circle, facing one another) to better facilitate learning.

Experiential learning broadens the ways a teacher can learn to connect with their class. Forcing oneself to think “outside of the box” even if it heightens feelings of anticipation, allows an educator to focus on learning rather than theory. Instead of crippling me, anticipation can be used to fuel the enthusiasm I hope to have every fall when I step into a classroom with a new set of faces. In fact, I am happily anticipating returning to the classroom on Wednesday with a group who were strangers 36 hours ago but now feel like part of an extended family.

My First Class

My First Class

By CGB
EDI 600 Psychological Foundation of Education

School of Education
Long Island University, C. W. Post
May 18, 2009

This is my third semester (fourth class) at CW Post. I regret to say thus far I have not been overly impressed with the level of curriculum intended to prepare us for our future teaching careers. Today, however, I finally felt like a graduate student ready to be challenged! It has been studied and demonstrated that students have a tremendous variance in learning styles. In my case, I crave structure and order with room for creativity. I can honestly say that I'm amazed and more importantly inspired thus far by Prof. Boyanton's organizational skills and the incorporation of technological resources. Although I successfully completed my previous courses, I did not feel like I gained solid knowledge. I would love to gain not merely knowledge that is textbook based but thought provoking with ability to sharpen my reasoning skills.

In my opinion, K-12 school years are built on developing foundations for knowledge acquisition. Our college years are to fine-tune reasoning skills. My expectations for the graduate degree go far beyond textbook based and teacher-centered lessons. I hope to acquire critical thinking and practical skills that will be applicable on daily basis in my future elementary classroom.

Today we played the Name Game to learn a practical reasoning skill of memorizing people’s names. It was a clever technique that I have heard of before but never had the opportunity to practice. I enjoyed getting to know my classmates and build my own sense of confidence by able to memorize approximately nineteen names in less than thirty minutes. This simple game ingeniously prompted us to review the different styles we learn in, teach in and foundations of teaching strategies for the classroom. I look forward to learning more practical as well as theoretical skills in the lectures to come.

Creating a Comfortable Learning Environment

Creating a Comfortable Learning Environment

By Eugenia Splinis
EDI 600 Psychological Foundation of Education

School of Education
Long Island University, C. W. Post
May 18, 2009

Today, I was a little surprised and pleased with how quickly the time went by in class. Before class, I was dreading the 3 hours and believed that it would drag and I am very glad it did not. I just hope that every class for the next month will be like today’s class. I was surprisingly comfortable in class which is unusual for me because I tend to be pretty anxious the first day of class. I wondered why I was so comfortable being that I hardly knew anyone in class, and I am shy and not one to talk to people I do not know.

I also did not know what to expect in the course and what my professor would be like. We were told to introduce ourselves to people around us and this was something that could not be avoided and so I pushed myself to do. Then, we were told to have a conversation with people we did not introduce ourselves to yet, and this was a little more difficult but was done. After the second introduction, there was a third one where the whole class participated and we were put on the spot to have to come up with creative ways for people to remember our names and then we had to do something that I dread the most, a presentation. I would have never thought that I would do all this with great ease, but I did, and I wondered…why?

Creating a comfortable environment in a classroom is a must. If Dr. Dengting did not try to make class a comfortable environment by having ourselves become familiar with other people before we had to talk in front of class and present, I would have been a lot more anxious then I was! Even something as simple as participating in the name game would have originally made me very nervous. It was also helpful that you have a positive attitude and participated in activities with the class. It is important to make sure that my students in the future are comfortable in our “classroom community.” I believe that they will be able to learn better because they would not be so nervous, tense, and worried about other things and will be free to learn.

A way to help my future students become comfortable in my classroom is to first be friendly and inviting myself, so that they are not intimidated. I want my classroom décor and arrangement to be a pleasant place to be and most important I want to create a tight community within my classroom. I will have students introduce themselves in small groups and when they get comfortable with that they will introduce themselves or each other to the whole class. This is the first time I played the game and using the strategy we did in class, this is something I will do with my class in the future and for myself to help myself memorize names. I will have many group projects and activities in class so that the children work together and learn to trust each other and be comfortable around each other so that they open themselves to learning.

My First Class

My First Class

By Ilana L. Johnson
EDI 600 Psychological Foundation of Education

School of Education
Long Island University, C. W. Post
May 18, 2009

I began my graduate school career last semester for Spring 2009, and it has been an eye-opening experience. With the advent of each new class, I feel a renewed sense of anticipation. This feeling brings me closer and closer each day of the semester to the goal in which I am on a quest to complete; and this is to successfully complete graduate school with an increased amount of knowledge that I did not possess previously.

When I approached the campus yesterday, arriving for this class which kicks off my summer session of classes, I must admit to feeling a little bit of anxiety that I usually experience at the start of a new class. One (or most) wonders: What will I experience in this class? Is the teacher effective? What is the curriculum based on? Can I afford the textbooks? Will we receive a break because, holy cow, this class is long?!?! I didn't know what to expect; although, I prefer not to believe fodder as it tends to influence how I feel about a teacher and, thus, creating dissension and a biased atmosphere.

I remained positive about entering this new class, and I enjoyed it immensely. Professor Boyanton is upbeat and motivating, which in turn helped to create an energetic atmosphere among the classmates. The Name Game was interesting and fun, a game that I have never played before and like enough to personally use, perhaps, in a different setting. I appreciate the time Professor Boyanton took to make sure and encourage that we were familiar with not only her but with each other. She introduced class discussion allowing the opportunity for us to voice our feelings about the game as well as giving us her thoughts on how effectively we answered the group questions, gracing us with positive feedback.

All in all, I felt motivated about the class and I look forward to learning everything that will help to become a most dynamic educator.

My First Class

My First Class

By Brian Bergman
EDI 600 Psychological Foundation of Education

School of Education
Long Island University, C. W. Post
May 18, 2009

I have started the journey for the next phase of my life. Tonight I started the first class towards my teaching degree. The class, EDI 600 Psychological Foundations of Education is given by Assistant Professor Dengting Boyanton. The reason I bring this to the front of my journal is that Dengting is a unique name. I have learned this evening that she is from central China. Dengting did her undergraduate degree in China and her Masters and PhD were done in Virginia. She has been in the United States for seven years.

Although I would normally call the professor of my class by their last name, Dengting has allowed us to call her by her first name. It is with respect that I call her Dengting. Respect is a word that has been used several times this evening. Respect for oneself, respect for others, and respect for our surroundings. These items can and should be used in all aspects of life, but in reference to class and teaching, we should always keep in mind the items we reviewed together. Some items are being on time for class (Dengting’s pet peeve), not talking over other people, listening to other people’s opinions, looking at people when you are talking to them, and respecting yourself enough to know when to ask questions.

The first day of school was filled with anxiety for me. I have not been in a classroom for over 17 years. I was very relieved to start the class with the introduction to our peers and then play the name game. It allowed all of the students to be on a level playing field. We all needed to remember the same information and allowed us to create identities for ourselves. The game, played in a circle enabled us to use both sight and sound to remember all the names of the students in the class.

I also believe that because this exercise was called a game, it allowed the students to create a relaxed and comfortable atmosphere in the classroom. Being in this relaxed state allowed the students to think freely, allowing us to come up with special names for memorization. Dentyne Ice, Jolly Justine, Stacy Macy, and of course Brian Lion are just some examples of who is in our class and how we have been able to associate our names to each other.

My expectation for this class is to understand the needs and wants of other people, both peers, parents, and students that I will encounter while teaching. I have been told that being a teacher is in fact being able to wear many different hats. There will be different ideas, beliefs, and concepts that will need to be discussed and reviewed. Being able to “wear a different hat” will enable me to utilize the concepts that are being taught in this classroom.

My motivation for being a teacher comes from my fulltime job. I am currently the manager of a security guard company. Within this company I deal with not only the clients, but the employees as well. The biggest issue that I see in my day job is the lack of education in the applicants that are coming in for jobs. Many of the people have not completed high school. It makes me sad to know that they are looking for a position that may only pay them $ 8.00 per hour. I feel that everyone should have the opportunity to learn, and that is never too late to start the process again. I am living proof of this, at age 40 with a mortgage, a family, and other financial obligations, I feel that it is time to embrace the passion of teaching that has been growing inside of me.

I have chosen Age & Learning for my research topic as I feel that at this point in my life my ability and motivation is quite different from when I was younger.

I believe that being a great teacher is both learned and an ability that we are born with. Teachers not only have an intellectual ability to learn and teach, but they also must have the interpersonal ability to express the lessons to different personalities. I would refer back to the “many hats” example I used earlier to make this point.

Being a student that needed additional help in school, I would like to concentrate on making sure that all students are learning together. There is nothing worse than being the student that is behind in class. The feeling that a child can have about being a slow learner, or someone that needs additional help is not always positive. This especially at a young age can place a stigma on the learning abilities of the child.

My First Class

My First Class

By Gregory Cioffi
EDI 550/551 Psychology of Adolescent Students

School of Education
Long Island University, C. W. Post
May 20, 2009

I walked into the classroom a little nervous, because I am a little nervous the first day of any class. But I did feel like I was going to enjoy the class because I already have an innate fascination with psychology: I find it interesting. As a requirement for my Bachelor's degree I took EDI 15A: Psychological Perspectives: Teaching and Learning. I found this course extremely engaging and received an A in the course. As a matter of fact, it is safe to say that that class, so far, has been my favorite education course that I have ever taken.

When I walked into our classroom, I was the first student there, which always makes me a little on edge. Is this the right room? Classes do start today, right? These are some of the questions going through my head. But then as a few students showed up I found myself more comfortable. Being though that this is my first graduate course I was interested to see the average age of students, and whether this would affect my comfort level. As it turns out, I believe we have a diversified classroom in terms of age, and I believe this will be beneficial to our learning process because we can share comments and experiences from very different perspectives.
The next most important aspect of class is the professor. Bad, or unmotivated teachers can make learning near impossible. That is why I was both impressed and pleasantly surprised to find the teacher, Professor Boyanton extremely aware of these notions. Just by the first day, I can tell that I will have a very positive relationship with my professor. We are very similar, as we are both on task, and despise negative energy and complaining/whining. I also found her teaching style very interesting.

In order to “break the ice” on the first day we played the “name game”, which was a fun and educational way to learn the names of each student in class. I think that is the only class that I know everyone’s name just after one class. I have been in classes where I didn't know half of the students' names when the course concluded. The game worked like this: everyone had to come up with a strategy to help others memorize their name. Mine was gregarious, because my name is Greg and I am kind. As the next student announces their strategy they also gave to recite everyone’s name and strategy before them.

This activity turned out to be enjoyable. After the first class, I can already say I learned a new strategy that can be applied in my classroom. Getting to know our peers and colleagues is a very vital and healthy aspect of life, and I am happy that is was acknowledged as so.
After “playing” the name game and reviewing its importance we spent the majority of the remaining time going over the syllabus. After doing so, I immediately knew this class was no easy walk in the park, however, this is certainly not a bad thing. I do not find the work load to be tedious, or useless. The project seems extremely interesting, mainly because I am allowed to choose from a list of topics. I find projects and/or papers are always more gratifying when there is a choice. The journals and logs seem to be self-reflective assessments, which we can all use practice at. I believe overall, that this class will be one that I really enjoy.

I learned my classmates names in one night!

By Grace Jimenez
EDI 600 Psychological Foundation of Education

School of Education
Long Island University, C. W. Post
May 19, 2009

Yesterday was my first day back to school after 11 years and I was extremely nervous. I sat down anxious but excited. When the class began and the name game was announced I thought I would make a fool of myself and never remember all the names. I was wrong I was able to learn everyone’s name by the end of the game.

So what did I learn from this experience? I learned a few things. First of all, this experience reminded me of my childhood. I remember always working better under pressure. Throughout my school years I always did better when the teacher was demanding. If the teacher was laid back I would do mediocre work. In college it was different because the professors left the motivation to me, so when I felt a class was difficult I made myself learn it using all the resources available. So I enjoyed working under pressure to learn all those names quickly and then repeat the names in front of the class because it matches my learning style.

Secondly, this experience brought back memories of how I used different strategies to learn in school. I would make up songs so I could recall important information. I would make acronyms so I could remember the order of things. Sometimes I made rhymes so that I could remember answers for my tests. In the name game some strategies helped me with some names, but with other names I made my own associations so I could remember the names and strategies. Even now with my sons I taught them how to spell their names and how to say their address at a very young age by making it into silly songs they enjoyed singing over and over again.

The name game basically confirmed that these two tools that I have used all my life and also used with my sons will be in my future teaching style. I plan to use some pressure so that my students push themselves to do the best they can. If I feel a topic is too difficult for my class then I would help them understand by using different strategies. I am so glad I decided to come back to school and be an elementary teacher, it is exciting to learn about all these teaching techniques.

What’s My Name?

By Adam Cirnigliaro
EDI 600 Psychological Foundation of Education

School of Education
Long Island University, C. W. Post
May 19, 2009

We began the first class of the semester by partaking in a name game. It was an intriguing way of introducing the course because not only was the game used to help familiarize students and the professor with each other, but it was also used as a tool to examine teaching methods and student motivation.

When I heard we were going to play this game, I immediately thought back to when I was in school when we played these types of games the first day of school. What I remembered most was how much I hated them and the anxiety they created. I was always worried about thinking of a creative mnemonic that people wouldn’t make fun of me for.

Luckily, that no longer is a personal stressor. As much as I used to dislike the game, today made me realize that being put under that pressure was good because it forced me to be a little creative and step outside my comfort zone. The game is also useful because it is a fun way to engage everyone in the class and break the ice.

I believe that one of the main take home messages from this lesson is the importance of actively engaging all of your students in whatever activity you are doing. Students do not learn by passively sitting by because they need ways to make information personally relevant. This game worked because everyone was forced to create a learning strategy, as well as remember the strategy and names of others. However, I think one possible flaw in the structure of the game is that the students who go first are not required to remain focused throughout the duration of the activity because they only have to remember the names of the few people behind them. Once they are finished, they are able to drift off if they choose.

Although these are the students who I think are least engaged, I always found it less stressful to go later because it gave me more time to think of my mnemonic. It was interesting to hear others in the class say that they felt less stress when they got to go first. This shows that students have very different motivations based on their personalities. Teachers should manipulate the learning environment in order to challenge student’s comfort levels and motivations, while still helping to encourage them. One way this can be done is by altering seating arrangements, such as using a large circle like we did today or by breaking students up into smaller groups.

Create a More Comfortable Classroom Environment

By Jeffrey Rosbash
EDI 600 Psychological Foundation of Education

School of Education
Long Island University, C. W. Post
May 19, 2009

Having had twenty-four hours to reflect on my first graduate course at CW Post, I can honestly say it was a positive experience from inception to finish. From the moment the class began, each student was actively engaged as the open “circle forum” helped to create a more comfortable, relaxed setting for each individual to converse in.

In the past, I (as most students) used to dread that first day of a new class. Whether you are taking a class at the elementary, high-school, college or graduate level, I find there is almost always that initial feeling of trepidation. One may ponder and ask themselves – what is the teacher like? Is it a large class with many students? Is their a heavy workload? Introducing a childhood game such as the name game is a very creative way to immediately have the students engaged in conversation and help put everyone at ease. Furthermore, the way in which this particular version of the game was played helped to quell many of those unknown questions/feelings students tend to have when starting a new course.

As I continue to grow as a person and evolve into the teacher I desire to become, I look forward to incorporating the name game concepts and lessons learned last evening into my teaching methods.

Easing the Tension on the First Day of Class

By Krystal Barrera
EDI 550/551 Psychology of Adolescent Students

School of Education
Long Island University, C. W. Post
May 20, 2009

The first day of class is always very nerve racking. Upon entering, both the teacher and the students are unaware of what to expect. As soon as I walked into the class, I felt the positive energy and knew this class was probably going to be one of my most interesting and influential classes.

Because I am a very big people-person and like to get to know and build relationships with my peers, I believe the Name Game was an excellent way to start class. It gave all the students as well as the teachers an opportunity to learn each others name while creating a cheery and happy environment. It broke the ice and after the game, everyone was very open to speaking their mind and sharing their opinions, even if those opinions went against what another student was saying.

I always find it very difficult to learn a group of names at the same time. Because of the use of repetition and strategies, I could still recite every persons name in the class and in order. Never have I sat in a class and felt a quicker connection with a group of students in that short of a time frame. Therefore, I believe the first class was very exciting and I will definitely be looking forward to future classes with my peers and professor.

The end of the class was a bit overwhelming. When receiving and reviewing the syllabus, I felt as if I would not be able to keep up with the amount of work assigned after each class. I really like the fact that Prof. Dengting gave us a handout on different ways to succeed in her class. Seeing how other students have worked hard and succeeded was very empowering and shows that we will be able to get it done if we put time and effort into our schoolwork.

Overall, I believe the first class was definitely a success. The students were constantly engaged and having a good time in class while also learning valuable lessons. As a future teacher, I will definitely use the Name Game to begin every class.

First Day of Class: Melting Anxiety and Stress with Fun and Comfort

By Daniel Dombrowski
EDI 550/551 Psychology of Adolescent Students

School of Education
Long Island University, C. W. Post
May 20, 2009

When I first came to the decision that I was going back to school, I was excited. As the days went by, I did not really think too much about it, but the days got closer. Finally, it was May 19th, and the first day of class came and then went by just as fast. My experiences with this class, just from the first day, were very different than what I expected.

As I was driving to school, I was feeling a little nervous, but also excited. I expected it to be one of those classes where the teacher lectures and it would be kind of boring. I also did not know what to expect since it was my first graduate level class. Once I sat down in class and started seeing everyone walk in and talking to friends, it made me feel isolated. It was not a problem because I was usually a "loner" when it came to class.

But once Professor Dengting started using some ice-breaker strategies, my anxiety settled once I started talking to people. The Name Game really helped turn the class around for me. By learning everyone's names, hearing the repetition, laughing with everyone when some made a mistake, and having fun made the classroom environment a much more intimate setting. Another note on how this ice-breaker surprisingly helped me was during our ten minute break, a couple of people I did not know before this class were calling me by name and being real friendly with me. This was a complete shock since I am used to students keeping to themselves while in class. I felt Professor Dengting used an incredibly smart technique by having us play the Name Game and by using a good portion of the first class to make a comfortable learning environment.

I feel that is very important for a teacher to lay down the foundation of a comfortable atmosphere so the students are more relaxed. Who knew all this could happen by just playing a couple of ice-breaker games? The best part of this game was that it made everyone in the class approachable. It made it very easy to go up to someone that I did not know and talk to them for the first time and establish friendly ties. It gave me the opportunity to make friends which I probably would not have if it was not for this game.

By playing this game, most of my stress and anxiety about the class faded away. I learned a valuable lesson about teaching from the very first class and that is to try and make the students' learning environment comfortable and have a positive atmosphere. This was all done by playing a couple of ice-breaker games, but the most effective one was the Name Game. This not only makes a positive learning atmosphere, but also opens the door for making friends. This can be a very effective educational tool to help students succeed in their learning experience by having fun and feeling comfortable.

In my experiences, students who are having fun learning want to learn more and do their best. If this is how class is going to be (in terms of fun, engagement, and learning), then it is a sign of good things to come and I cannot wait to learn more.

My First Class

My First Class

By Mark Zelonski
EDI 550/551 Psychology of Adolescent Students

School of Education
Long Island University, C. W. Post
May 20, 2009

I think the type of class that we attended today may be the future of education. All too often students are subjected to a classroom environment and pedagogy that has not evolved with the modern techniques we now understand to be conducive to learning. I think the techniques that were used today should a standard across the country. I feel strongly about this because as I have been subjected to ineffective teachers and classroom environments. I know how one bad classroom experience can seriously degenerate the moral of a student.

What I hope to gain from this class is a better understanding of how to conduct highly effective learning environments. I also hope to gain a better understanding of who I am as a future educator. I am eager and excited to see the future teacher I will become. However, I do have inner fears that I must conquer as well. It was a very difficult decision to change my career at the age of 29. The even harder decision was to leave a family business. My parents are supportive to some degree; however, they do not feel I made the right decision; which hurts me. More importantly, I do feel I made the right decision. I do not want to become complacent in life. I want to always strive to better myself through education and learning. This makes me happy.

A Positive Learning Experience

By Tom Stidd
EDI 550/551 Psychology of Adolescent Students

School of Education
Long Island University, C. W. Post
May 20, 2009

Yesterday I attended the first class for the Psychology of Adolescent Students. I have given some time for myself to reflect about how I felt our first class went. Thinking back to the class I realized that I felt both motivated and slightly overwhelmed.

This course is the first graduate education course I have attended. I wasn’t sure what to expect about what I might learn or how the class would be run. As a math undergraduate major most of my courses were lecture type courses. Our first class in EDI 551 began with the name game as a way to introduce students to each other and to learn everyone’s name. That type of introduction was very new to me, and I wasn’t sure how I would perform. After playing the game and participating in the rest of the class activities I felt motivated that I could meet the challenges of the course. Although I was new to interacting with classmates early on in the semester, I saw the advantages of everyone being involved in possibly an uncomfortable activity and all emerging successful. It was a good way for us to get comfortable with each other in a fun way, and it enabled me to feel like the course had a sense of community, which was motivating.

Another emotion I felt was a feeling of being a little overwhelmed by the course requirements. I was concerned if I could figure out using the webct system and how I would perform on the assignments. However, the motivation I took away from the first class has helped me push past any concerns and feel the first class has set a positive tone for the semester.

Understanding Adolescents-A Constructive Approach

By Audrey Iglehart
EDI 550/551 Psychology of Adolescent Students

School of Education
Long Island University, C. W. Post
May 22, 2009

I found today’s class discussion interesting and worthwhile. It was hard to believe that three hours flew by. It would seem that many of us in the room believe that adolescents have many of the same characteristics and that these believed characteristics could be considered stereotypes. At the conclusion of class when the issue of how to see adolescents through a different lens was brought up I enjoyed this immensely. Personally, I can’t stand when adults ask adolescents why they did something or acted a certain way. The person asking is looking for an adult answer with evidence of adult rational thinking and most of the time adolescents don’t think that way. They are just beginning to be able to do that. The way they develop this higher order thinking is through experimentation. This experimentation can cause them to test the limits and act out; it is just part of being an adolescent. My answer to those adult is usually because they are a kid.

I think far too often we adults forget what it was like to be a teenager. How every emotion was amplified; you never love as deeply, hate as much, cry as hard, get as jealous, form deep friendships, laugh as hard, goof around as you do when you are younger. Instead of being annoyed by their raging hormones or behaviors, adults should learn to embrace the adolescent for the interesting people they are becoming. This is why I believe that middle school and high school teachers take more of a mentor role on than a parental role that is necessary in the elementary grades. I find them entertaining and I would never want to work with a different group.

I found the readings to be fascinating, it allows for a great deal of introspection. I suppose I am what Marcia labels as a diffused identity person, and therefore was mixed up in sex and drugs when I was in high school. I suppose I was a mix of crowds as were my friends. We did smoke a tremendous amount of pot in high school and I was never really engaged in school, I guess we were hippies. I still keep in contact with these friends and ironic as is sounds we are all in the education field and doing well.

Engaging Students Through a Panel Discussion

By Daniel Dombrowski
EDI 550/551 Psychology of Adolescent Students

School of Education
Long Island University, C. W. Post
May 22, 2009

One of the best parts of today's class was the panel discussion exercise. At first when Professor Dengting told us on the first day of class about the panel, I was a little hesitant since I never did something like this, I did not know how well it would turn out. Well I did not realize how wrong I was. This seemed like another intelligent strategy from Professor Dengting to bring about class discussion and to get students involved by giving their own opinions and experiences. I think even Professor Dengting was surprised at how successful the discussion evolved from asking the panel members questions to the point it seemed even the rest of the class became extended panel members and were answering the questions that were being asked.

As the panel members were drilled with questions from the class, they answered the students by talking from experience while also giving their opinion on different subject matter. What I felt was very important about the discussion was that it was not based on theoretical findings or dry textbook readings, but was based on people's experiences in the classroom. Even better was that there were two different perspectives on the same questions: those that were teachers and their experience and from those that were students and remembered their experiences from high school. It was an amazing discussion that got everyone involved. In my experience, many people want to share their experiences and this discussion not only encouraged that, but it was difficult not to. This was another brilliant strategy by Professor Dengting that got students to participate in class in a fun, relaxed, and non-stressful way.

Engaging Students Through a Panel Discussion

Engaging Students Through a Panel Discussion

By Mark Zelonski
EDI 550/551 Psychology of Adolescent Students

School of Education
Long Island University, C. W. Post
May 22, 2009

This innovative class continues to surprise me. I didn’t know what to expect with regards to “The Panel.” What I learned was how a simple change in classroom structure i.e. students interviewing students, could explode into such interesting and informative conversation! I especially liked how the students who are currently teaching, offered an insight into what to expect for those of us who are not.

I found my other classmates to be intelligent, polite and shockingly similar to me! That was a welcome surprise. It gives me a feeling that I am following the right career path based on my colleague’s similar personality traits. I also enjoyed the discussion about teen stereotypes. It allowed me to understand and acknowledge important issues that I had not readily thought about. What I mean by that is, even though I know the topic of adolescent stereotypes is an important one, I never really studied it with great depth. It is now a subject that I feel should be a priority in my style of teaching.

Engaging Students Through a Panel Discussion

Engaging Students Through a Panel Discussion

By Timothy O’Sullivan
EDI 550/551 Psychology of Adolescent Students

School of Education
Long Island University, C. W. Post
May 22, 2009

Last’s night’s class was again very active and stimulating. So far I’m getting a lot of this course. The group really works well with one another and the professor is a great facilitator. We mostly spoke about stereotypes and how we perceive the adolescent in today’s world. Our discussion with the panel led to current views and past views being expressed and the different ways we can deal with these stereotypes as educators.

The idea that Dr. Dengting had with the panel discussion was a great one. It encouraged everyone to speak and express their ideas and views. I don’t remember ever having a college class where I heard every single student speak. I feel very at home with this group and not afraid to speak what’s on my mind. We disagree and agree with one another very respectfully. It was also a good job on Dr. Dengting’s part by giving a sort of overview at the end of all the topics that we spoke about and good points that we made. She then gave her thoughts also which was helpful to hear. I enjoyed hearing about everyone’s experiences with different situations that helped make them who they are now.

I learned about the approach that I want to take when students are misbehaving when I begin teaching. I want to pay attention to the students and be patient with them, don’t criticize, judge, and ignore. I need to show interest in each student, prove to them I do care. This will prove to develop a more effective teacher student relationship.

Learning through Sharing

Learning through Sharing

By Krystal Barrera
EDI 550/551 Psychology of Adolescent Students

School of Education
Long Island University, C. W. Post
May 22, 2009

After the second class, I am still extremely excited and looking forward to what’s to come in future classes. In Thursday’s class, we had the opportunity to listen to 4 students speak their minds on what it means to be an adolescent. Not only did they speak of adolescents today, they shared their personal experiences and what it was like for them growing up during these difficult years.

By sharing experiences and listening to different points of view, it gave not only the students but the professor an opportunity to forget about our personal perspectives on adolescents. During the class, we spoke about stereotypes and although more times than not these stereotypes are fairly accurate, it was interesting to hear the class shed light upon these labels and come up with reasons as to why we view students in this manner.

I personally really like the idea of a panel discussion during class. This isn’t the first time where I’ve sat in a class and had the opportunity to ask questions and receive feedback from peers. I think this is the best way to learn because instead of being lectured to, we are discussing topics which are important and hearing more than just the perspective of one person. In my opinion, I believe I have learned the most when discussing and listening to a panel of speakers.

One reason why I really enjoy the class is because we are constantly being engaged. There is a constant flow and all the topics of the day seem to flow into one another. So far, this is probably one of the best classes I’ve ever had in college. I really like the relaxed atmosphere in the class and how comfortable everyone is to speak their mind without fear of being criticized. I am really looking forward to what I will be learning in the next several weeks.

Reflecting Identity: What, How, and Why?

Reflecting Identity: What, How, and Why?

By Gregory Cioffi
EDI 550/551 Psychology of Adolescent Students

School of Education
Long Island University, C. W. Post
May 22, 2009

Identity, to me, is what makes an individual unique, and although the world is filled with similar people, no two beings are exactly the same. It is identity that provides an individual with a sense of self that ultimately defines them. Relating this notion to adolescents strikes interest with me, because I think that High School is a time of transition, and a time where students are trying to “find themselves.”

If students are trying to figure out who they are, do they have a fixed identity? Does their identity change as they try on different “hats” being though who they are is in a constant state of flux? After pondering these questions I am still not entirely sure. It seems logical that ones true identity is most likely modifying itself as people, themselves, change.

Another fascinating point: is there an identity that defines a particular group or culture? Do factors such as race, gender, nationality, and religion categorize people to the point where they are labeled as a collective identity? I think to some degree this definitely goes on. If true, then these identities would also be constantly altered as societal norms shift and change as time progresses.

I think our discussion of stereotypes fits in nicely with this idea of a cultural identity as well, as we discussed issues such as how different cultures handle things like education very differently. Like stereotypes, I think we run a dangerous and unfair risk by accepting most cultural identities. Although generalizations may be true, can we really conjure up one element that is undeniably true for any specific group of people? I think that would be culpable.

I find it ironic how the majority of my journal entry on “identity” deals with a collective identity rather than individuals' oneness. So what have I learned about identity? Identity is an impermanent definition of any human being. However, identity is also used to congregate individuals who uncontrollably have something common. Therefore, identity, depending on how you look at it, can both justly or unjustly characterize you.

Identity Development Through Athletics

By Michael Wimmer
EDI 550/551 Psychology of Adolescent Students

School of Education
Long Island University, C. W. Post
May 22, 2009

When I was an adolescent, I identified myself as an athlete. From the 8th grade on, I played on school teams every season, and was always playing basketball outside of school. I feel that there are many reasons that I found this to be my identity.

One of the strongest reasons that I identified myself as an athlete when I was an adolescent was because it was something I enjoyed so much. I loved playing sports in high school. Being a member of a team is a great feeling. There is a certain sense of accomplishment you get in sports that you do not find in other fields. Because you are working with others who have the same ultimate goal as you do, you find yourself surrounded by those to share the ups and downs of winning and losing with. I was able to identify myself in a group, which set up a support system for me.

My biggest supporters were my parents and my brother. They always came to watch me play and helped me as I continued to grow as an athlete. This bond was strengthened with every game, and I feel that their connection with my identification only strengthened my desire to be an athlete.

Overall I would say that the reason I identified myself as an athlete through adolescence came from the joy playing sports gave me. This joy did not just come from the sports themselves, but also the relationships that were built around them. This is something I still carry with me today, which is why I feel the identification is so strong for me.

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

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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

Tuesday, May 26, 2009

Greetings from the editor

Table of Contents

Anticipation: Friend or Foe?

My First Class

Creating a Comfortable Learning Environment

My First Class

My First Class

My First Class

I learned my classmates names in one night!

What’s My Name?

Create a More Comfortable Classroom Environment

Easing the Tension on the First Day of Class

First Day of Class: Melting Anxiety and Stress with Fun and Comfort

My First Class

A Positive Learning Experience

Understanding Adolescents-A Constructive Approach

Engaging Students Through a Panel Discussion

Engaging Students Through a Panel Discussion

Engaging Students Through a Panel Discussion

Learning through Sharing

Reflecting Identity: What, How, and Why?

Identity Development Through Athletics

JOCTL Feedback

4th CESTL

Copyright © Dr. Dengting Boyanton Assistant Professor of Education 2008

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