September 24th Exit Slip

Today's class was amazing and I really enjoyed the discussions about measurements and angles without the aid of modern tools. The seemingly endless number of possible ways to incorporate math learning into an outdoor class made me admire the ancient people who had to measure without the tools and technology we have today. I will definitely consider incorporating these activities to my future math teaching career.

When I think about how people measured lengths and areas in the past, I can only imagine the extra effort they had to put into their work and how they used whatever they had around them as tools to aid in measurement. It is fascinating to realize that we can actually use our body as tools to aid in measurement. In class, the group activity of measuring length and width using different part of our bodies was a good way to move around, immerse ourselves in nature, and learn how to apply math at the same time. It required little to no equipment and was something we can do independently. At the same time, the activity encouraged us to think about the possible ways we can measure distances.

Another activity that I really enjoyed in today's class was tracking the sun's arc using our arms and fists to estimate the angle of the arc. I had never really thought about using my fists to create an angle of arc before this activity, and I was amazed how simple and effective the method was. We also used our arms to trace the arc of the sun, starting from the South East a
nd ending in South West during winter, and from the North East to North West in summer. This allowed me to picture the path the sun takes during different seasons and helped me understand why winters have shorter daytime than summers. By incorporating this activity to my class, I can encourage the students to think about the position of the sun at different times of the year and construct an arc that allows them to visualize the arc. It's a great way to not rely on modern technology as much when solving for historical math problems.

My takeaway is that there are many different ways to solve math problems outside of calculators and rulers. The activities we participated in today's class helped me realize recognize the value of using our own body as tools for measurement. I think outdoor activities like these will definitely intrigue the students and motivate them to learn more about math and its history.

September 24th Entrance Slip

The article mentioned a lot about the importance of learning about school gardens. One thing that stopped me while I was reading the article was one of the main points of the article about teaching in a school garden as a co-teacher. When we talk about teaching in a garden, a lot of people would often think of it as another location for learning. But there are so many other aspects incorporated into it, one of them is being closer to nature. When students are outside, they can connect with the world around them better while feeling fresh and relaxed. It also helps develop the empathetic relationship we have with the living ecosystem where we show respect to the environment around us, and I think this plays an important role when it comes to teaching because I believe empathy is something all students should learn. 

As a teacher, I believe that incorporating teaching and learning in a garden is a great idea for both me and the students. Over the last two weeks, my classmates and I have been attending classes at Orchard Garden, where I've learned a lot about respect, connection and observation in relation to the ecosystem. By teaching in a garden, students can learn to show empathy and connect with their surroundings. Students can also learn to observe what is around them. Through visual observations, I can ask the students to relate math to their surroundings, such as the angles of certain objects or the length of a tree branch. 

I think using the garden for teaching and learning has the potential to go both ways. Some benefits include observing and connecting with nature in relation to math, while difficulties can arise, such as the weather and the lack of resources supporting this style of teaching. One way to work through the difficulties is to have an alternative activity planned for on the day of inclement weather. Additional resources can also be added as part of expanding the program of garden teaching. I believe that by adding relevance to what the teaching can offer at the gardens, students and other teachers will begin to see the effectiveness of it. Nevertheless, I am excited to see what teaching in the garden as a teacher means and where it will lead.

September 17th Exit Slip

Reflecting on today's sketching activity, I found connecting math to the surrounding nature and man-made objects very interesting, as this was the first time I had ever done something like this. The activity encouraged me to stop and think about the different ways I could identify and implement lines and angles into various objects surrounding me, something that had never crossed my mind before. At the same time, sitting down and taking the time enjoy the surroundings were very relaxing for me, as I was able to immerse myself as part of the nature. The quiet environment this morning also allowed me to focus and make connections better, and I really appreciated it, especially given how much distractions we have in our daily lives with phone and technology. I will definitely keep this activity in mind and possibly incorporating it to my future math classes.

At the same time, I also enjoyed listening to my classmates' reflection towards the end of the class. The discussion brought out different perspectives from each group about what it means to be a reflective teacher and different ways that we can build on as we continue to grow in our career. I really appreciated the hindsight shared by my peers, as they helped me understand more about the different aspects of teaching and gave me suggestions on preparing my future career as a teacher. 

Entrance Slip for September 17th

After reading the article posted by Grant and Zeichner, I believe that it speaks to me on a large scale. While the article was written in a different time and place than mine, it pointed out several important aspects that I would incorporate as a teacher.  One of the aspects that Grant and Zeichner mentioned was how there doesn't exist the most effective way of teaching and I agree with that because every class and student is different, we have to accommodate based on the classroom's needs in order to be successful. The other aspect that spoke to me was when the authors mentioned the "how to teach", as it made me wonder what are some of the possible ways I could implement these ideas into my classroom teaching, and whether supervisors would be supportive of it or not. One thing that touched me as a teacher candidate was discussing openmindedness and wholeheartedness, and how they are important characteristics of teaching. While prior to reading this article, I already knew of these aspects playing a role in teaching. However, the authors also dug deeper into each aspect including keeping an open mind about the contents used in the classroom, instead of just keeping an open mind on methods of teaching. Wholeheartedness also gave me a new meaning, as I now understand that it isn't just about enjoying teaching, but rather being open to teaching different kinds of students, regardless of their age and differences. On the other hand, since the article was written in the 20th century, I believe that some of the terminology used by Grant and Zeichner could be outdated, such that the learning environment and teachers are obviously not the same as before, including expectations and diversity of the student population, so whether these ideas are still applicable and as effective as before remains to be seen. The authors also repeatedly emphasized on the importance of self-reflection, but rarely mentioned anything about reflecting with others as a team, which I think is important for growing as a teacher.

The article mentions many amazing ideas such as reevaluating and questioning ourselves when becoming a reflective teacher, which will definitely help me develop my ideas about teacher inquiry as I nurture myself into teaching. There is no doubt that being reflective is a continual path of growth, and that issues of curriculum and instruction play a huge role when it comes to development as a teacher. I can relate to this as I tutor math, I often take the time to look back on the lesson plans that I implemented in class on the day of, and revise them for future classes. It allows me to examine the possibilities among different outcomes which would help my long-term development as a teacher. At the same time, to add on to what I mentioned in the end of previous paragraph, I disagree with the author's suggestion that there is no alternative to the renewal of our schools. With how much classrooms have changed compared to previous years, teachers are now expected to work in a much more diverse and digitally driven educational environment, as self-reflecting on modern day teaching while accommodating students' needs is different from before. On top of reflection, while I agree that it is an important part of teacher inquiry, I believe the access of technology and feedbacks from students, parents and other teachers will also greatly influence how I adapt my teaching. 

Exit Slip September 10th

       After watching and discussing Frank McCourt with the class, my takeaway was Frank’s experience teaching high school students when he came to the United States. He mentioned that as a teacher, he had to accommodate his teaching based on the students’ needs, even though he had never attended high school in his life. This really stood out for me because in the past, I always thought there was a set way of teaching and simply following it equals teaching, Frank made me realize that accommodation plays a key role in teaching. On the other hand, Frank also talked about how, as an Irish himself, he had to move to a new location where he was unfamiliar with the culture and environment while also learning from the different backgrounds of students he taught. I learned a lot after hearing Frank talk about his teaching experience overseas and I strongly believe that as teachers, we need to adapt to students’ needs so students feel inclusive and motivated to learn because everyone learns differently. However, this also raised another question for me: Are students expected to adapt to teachers teaching method as well, or are they not as important as teachers adapting to students' needs? 

      At the same time, another question that struck my mind was: To what extent was he expected to learn as a teacher? As we all know, teachers learn while they teach, whether they are improvising their teaching methods or gaining new knowledge from their students, and I truly believe that teachers should always be open to learning regardless of how many years of teaching experience they have. However, knowledge is unlimited, and it makes me wonder if teachers are expected to learn as much as possible or only within their field of study, since we can only have so much information feeding into us.

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 Hi everyone I'm Brandon

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