End of Year Blog Reflection

My Inquiry Project Presentation: https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1roY4vRCNx9tNYrPfTFQDUasNYXjJJT_ThpRFyB9sLfg/edit?usp=sharing

I enjoyed the inquiry project a lot. I thought that it helped me reflect on assessment practices as a teacher. It allowed me to examine what assessment practices work and what not and how to engage students through effective assessment. The project also allowed me to reflect on my past experiences, both good and bad, as a student and a teacher. As a result, I am able to pick out the positive aspects I have seen teachers implement in the past, while shunning the negative ones. 

In my inquiry project, I forgot to incorperate the connections to the real world aspect. I had a conversation with Kevin, our 441 instructor, about cheating and student motivation behind it. He mentioned that as a teacher, it is important to remove the mindset of marks that students often think about. He said that when students focus on learning, they are often more engaged and perform better on assessments. To get student mindset off of marks, he uses proficiency scales instead of letter grades or percentages. By removing the "mark" on a test and telling students the areas they need to improve on instead, their focus immediately switches from fishing for marks to "how can I improve and best learn the material." I thought that this was very insightful and something I can take away for my future classroom.

Overall, I thought that the course content could have been more applicable and related to the inquiry projects. I am finding it hard to understand the practicality of rope-making and braiding in high school secondary mathematics without it looking extremely forced into the curriculum. Similarly, the blog post about climate change felt as if I had to force word problems about climate change into my homework and tests. Climate change would be applicable in a statistics class, but not so much for other classes. Lastly, I disliked the Alfie Kohn video and thought that it was very biased. I felt like he only addressed the positive aspects of cooperative learning without addressing the downsides. As a person who enjoys competitive learning and activities, I felt attacked. All in all, I appreciated the work periods given for the inquiry project and thought that the inquiry projects were the highlights of the class, but with this being our inquiry class, I am finding it hard to see the relevance of the rest of the class content to the inquiry project.

Annotated Bibliography Inquiry Project

Why Students Cheat: Motivations Behind Cheating

For annotations, see this link: Annotations & Notes

Works Cited

Beatty, J. E. (2004). Grades as money and the role of the market metaphor in management education. Academy of Management Learning & Education, 3(2), 187–196. https://doi.org/10.5465/amle.2004.13500516

Capoferri, R. (Director). (2017, January 6). The Truth About Cheating in High School [Video essay]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pRtwL0ceR8s&ab_channel=RyanCapoferri

Dueck, M. (2011, November). How I broke my own rules and learned to retest. Education Leadership 69 No. 3. https://njctl-media.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/How%20I%20Broke%20My%20Own%20Rules%20and%20Learned%20to%20Retest%20Article.pdf

Pavlin-Bernardić, N., Rovan, D., & Pavlović, J. (2016). Academic cheating in mathematics classes: A motivational perspective. Ethics & Behavior, 27(6), 486–501. https://doi.org/10.1080/10508422.2016.1265891

McCoy, B. (2021). Why Students Cheat (It’s not them— it’s us). Liberal Education, 107(1), 46–51.

Murdock, T. B. (1999). Discouraging cheating in your classroom. The Mathematics Teacher, 92(7), 587–591. https://doi.org/10.5951/mt.92.7.0587

Strom, P. S., & Strom, R. D. (2007). Cheating in Middle School and High School. The Educational Forum, 71(2), 104–116. https://doi.org/10.1080/00131720708984924

Waltzer, T., & Dahl, A. (2022). Why do students cheat? perceptions, evaluations, and motivations. Ethics & Behavior, 33(2), 130–150. https://doi.org/10.1080/10508422.2022.2026775

2023-11-09 Inquiry Project Exit Slip

Today was a work period in class. I was doing research on the topic of why students cheat and their motivations behind cheating. By far, I have found 6 very interesting academic articles/journals I will be using as sources for my project. The articles were a very interesting read. They discussed student motivation behind cheating and the fact that it is not entirely the students' fault. They shifted the focus onto educational institutions and the societal & competitive pressure from peers and parents. Today, educational institutions have made marks a currency and have both given and taken them away for reasons that do not demonstrate student comprehension. As a result, students are now "fishing" for marks and trying to squeeze every ounce of them into their report cards. Some of the articles suggest that this is one of the main reasons that students cheat. On the other hand, because academics has turned into a competition, students also feel shameful if they underperform and as a result, turn to cheating to level out the playing field. Overall, the articles were interesting to read, and I look forward to further my understanding regarding this topic of interest.

Oct 19th Exit Slip

One of the questions we discussed in class today was "are marks accurate." Our group's discussion revolved around the fact that percentage marks are not accurate per se, but we still thought marks are necessary both for student motivation and for post-secondary institutions. If not percentage marks, then how do we grade then? We were discussing how we cannot differentiate an 80% student from an 81% student. That 1% different could be the result of one careless mistake or a small disceptancy in the marking. As a group, we decided that percentage marks are not accurate, but categorical marking might be a better way. By categorical marking, we were talking about proficiency rubrics. When we look at a percentage grade, sometimes it is hard for us teachers, and even the students and their parents to determine what that 81% means. However, if we use proficiency rubrics, teachers, students, and parents have a better grasp of what the student can improve on (i.e. student is in the developing category for substitution but in the extending category for elimination, so the student can work on solving systems using substituion).

For the second half of class, we watched a video by Alfie Kohn that highlighted the cooperative versus competitive nature of things. Personally, I thought that he was extremely biased towards everything being cooperative, as he only talked about the pros of a cooperative system and the cons of a competitive system. As a competitive individual myself, I enjoy the competitive aspect of things, like sports and games. Competitiveness drives me to be better and allows me to have something to look forward to, not to mention the adrenaline rush in an intense and close competition. I acknowledge that there are cons to the competitive aspect to things and some truth to Alfie's main arguments, but I felt like his perspective was very utopistic. Competition is a motivator for many, including myself. All in all, I believe that there are some grey areas that can incoorperate both competition and coorperation, like team competitiion (team sports). They involve a group of individuals working toward a common goal, to beat the other team. It incooperates both teamwork and competition, which is my cup of tea. 

Sections 1 & 2 of the Database Search Plan for the Inquiry Project

Title: Students' Incentive to Cheat

My Question: Why do students cheat? (motives, incentives, educational practices)

Analysing my topic into concepts:

Student motivations and thoughts on cheating. 

External factors to consider (psychological, environmental, etc.)

Our education system and cheating prevention

Challenges in preventing cheating.

Grades as an incentive.

Oct 19th Entrance Slip - Option 2

In our society, marks have become a form of currency where students will get rewarded and punished with by giving or taking them away. So what do grades mean and what are they for? Grades should indicate the students' comprehension of a subject material. If a student receives an A, it means they are exceeding in their understanding of the material. A B would mean that the student is profficient in the material, a C meaning satisfactory/developing, and an F/D would mean that students have little understanding of the material and are still emerging.  That being said, giving a student a 0 on a test for getting caught cheating or helping someone cheat would mean that they have absolutely no understanding of the subject material. Is that really true though? And if not, how would we fairly deal with issues like cheating? Although that would be a discussion for another time (my inquiry project), I would like to mention that grades can have benefits as well. Grades can serve as a motivator for some students and allows for feedback, accountability, standardization, and preparation for the real world. It allows students to see their strengths and weaknesses and from there, choose a career path.

Personally, I would teach math and science outside of the context of school without giving grades. Learning should be fun. Students learn best when they are interested and should not be solely motivated by grades. There is nothing better than a student wanting to learn math out of pure interest. That students would learn a lot more than a student studying just to maintain their A. As Bill Gates put it, "curiosity is the best teacher." However, post-secondary institutions and parents both need a method of checking in on how students are doing, and grades are a standardized way to do so. It allows for a better juedgement of where students are in terms of the class content.

Sept 28 Exit Slip

In class, we discussed about gender in society. Our group talked about how in hgih school, gender segregation was not as evident in our classes, but when we went to university, it became much more obvious. For example, classes like computer science, physics, and math had a high guy to girl ratio and classes like English, marketing and Education had a high girl to guy ratio. We talked about why this may be the case and concluded that it is most likely due to the societal and peer pressures we are surrounded with. Our parents and peers have a set list of jobs only females can work as and another ones for males. Hence, it is hard and sometimes demotivating to go against the norm.

Taking this to an educational context, what can we do as teachers to break this societal norm? As teachers, it is our role to challenge stereotypes and make students think beyond the scope of the classroom to why things are the way they are. It is our job to encourage students to pursue their dreams and provide examples of successful individuals who pursued their dreams despite going against societal norms.

In class, we also discussed about the upcoming inquiry project. I chose the topic "Why students cheat?" I feel like this is a very interesting topic because I believe that students cheat mostly because our education systems are flawed. Our educational systems treat marks as some sort of currency and use it to both reward and punish students behavior. I want to research more into this topic and explore different ways we as educators can implement strategies to minimize cheating. What should educators do when students cheat? What has society told us about cheating? I will explore these questions more as I further research into the topic.

Entrance Slip Oct 5th

1. How these ideas interact with your own hopes and concerns about taking up the profession of teaching.

When teaching this previous year, I was sometimes nervous to take students outdoors, play sports with them, or do unconventional activities. I wasn't sure if the principal or admins would allow that due to safety policies etc. However, reading the article has given me a sense of optimism and excitement that these activities are actually good practices for students, and help with student concentration and engagement. It allows them to explore mathematics in the real world, making the subject more enjoyable.

2. What images and metaphors you take away from the reading.

The metaphor "dancing teachers into being with a garden" from the title really resonates with me. I think it is a pretty cool metaphor and symbolizes a more creative, playful, adaptable, and less rigid approach to teaching. As prospective math teachers who used to be students, we often see math class as standard, with the teacher teaching the content and then students working on practice problems. This metaphor suggests that we can deviate from that and suggests that we explore more creative ways to teach in the classroom.

3. Things you agree and disagree with, wonder about and/or can extend to other ideas about teaching in a fast-changing and uncertain world.

Overall, I agree with the article's main point, in the sense that math teachers need to practice more creativity and need to be less rigid in the classroom. The stereotype that math class is doing problems and chugging numbers at a desk in the classroom needs to change.

On the other hand, I believe that there are certainly restrictions on what a teacher should and shouldn't do in a math class. The article mentions napping, dreaming, and sewing as some possible activities for students in class. Perhaps it may be something to consider for an elementary classroom, but in the secondary curriculum, mathematics is more rigorous and there is more content to cover. That being said, class should be a good use of time and should be relevant and working toward completion of both the course content and curricular competencies. Personally, I would not force activities into the curriculum or lesson plan which I don't seem fit or that I feel is not sufficiently relevant and helpful.

Sept 28th Exit Slip

 In class today, we covered serveral topics, mostly about students and the classroom environment. The two main questions we discussed about are "how to support students and ourselves with the anxieties of our times" and "what are some implicit stories and assumptions in the classroom?" 

To answer the first question, one way to support students and ourselves in the classroom is to have  self-reflection. For students, reflection helps them ponder on the issues both they and the world around them face, as well as alert the teacher in the issues they may currently be facing. On the other hand, reflecting as a teacher allows us to make changes in our daily lives and work on areas we need to work on. The first step to solving a problem is to know what the problem is. After that, it is important as a teacher to be mindful and knowledgeable of the school's resources in helping students with their various problems. Sometimes, we just aren't sufficiently equipped to handle their problems ourselves, and thus we need external resources. That being said, the big takeaway for me is to be mindful of what is going around me, both as a teacher as an individual.

One of the biggest false assumptions I get a lot as a teacher and a student in the past is that a person is either good at math or not. I get that a lot from peers, colleagues, and students around me. What many people do not understand is that there are so many areas of math. For me in particular, I dislike statistics, but I enjoy discrete mathematics and abstract algebra. For students, some may be good at one aspect of math but dislike another. It is important for schools and math teachers to teach this, as many students believe that whether math is for them is a black and white concept. Students need to udnerstand that there is more than one way of doing math and so many branches to explore. The whole idea of math being either only liked or disliked (and nothing in between) is very demotivating and detrimental to students. When students believe that they are bad at something, they stop putting in effort and begin to perform worse, even if they weren't doing bad to begin with. As a prospective teacher, I hope to get this messafge across to students, that math is diverse and that there are many areas of explore, that some may interest you and others may not.

Entrance Slip Sept 28

 1) What is our responsibility as educators as we help to raise and teach new generations to be leaders in our contemporary and future world?

It is our responsibility as educators to raise awareness of things that may be problems for the next generation and future leaders. Climate change, in particular, is one of the problems that our next generation will be combatting. That being said, new generations need to be informed and prepared for the problems the future holds, and need to know ways they can help and take action now.

2) Are we (as a society and as people) capable of making changes to the ways our subjects were ‘traditionally’ taught to us? If so, what are your thoughts on the suggested changes here? And if not, what is the fate of our world?

As teachers, we certainly have power to change how our subjects were traditionally taught. Referring to the article, I have no doubt that it is important to raise awareness in schools about problems like climate change. Students can definitely be more mindful of the situation. The author mentioned the three principles that are meant to guide educators in creating meaningful mathematics lessons in regards to climate change, them being forms of authenticity, forms of participation, and reflecting on and in mathematics. The forms of authenticity and the reflecting on and in mathematics areas are good ways to implement application based questions (especially in classes like statistics or Calculus), allowing students to be doing the curriculum's content while being aware of the problem of climate change. However, I believe that the forms of particpation area is not really meant to take place in the classroom. Teachers can surely mention and advocate for students taking action and engaging in raising awareness and public debates, but whether the students decide to participate and take action is their choice.

3) What are your personal thoughts and feelings about global climate change in our times?

I can say that I am concerned and responsible for climate change in our times. I realize that there is a huge responsibility and environmental impact of my actions. Even me taking public transit affects the environment and climate change. Overall, I have a desire to make the environment a better place and will support the cause in whatever means necessary.

Sept 21st Exit Slip

Having done arts and craft in class today, I personally am finding it hard to incorperate it into my secondary level math class. I think it would be a great idea for elementary level math, but I do not think there is sufficient time in class and am finding it hard to relate it to Precalculus for instance. However, I do appreciate outdoor learning. Students in particular do not like sitting in class and sometimes need to release their energy, and outdoor learning is a great way to teach the class content while students get some fresh air, sun, and get to experience nature. When I was teaching AP Calculus, the students asked if they could do it outside because the weather was beautiful, and I said sure. It was a different but nice experience. As mentioned in class, it is sometimes nice for students to make decisions for their own learning. In the future, I do plan to incorporate outside learning from time to time when the weather permits.

Entrance slip reading and viewing for Thurs Sept 21

Reading the article has really helped me reflect on the consumer lifestyle we have been living in. Nowadays, it is true that kids are spoiled and take things for granted. This is because we can get anything we want when we want it, and if we don't, we complain about it. Another thing I found interesting in the article was the author's mention of how a community garden can help us "relearn lost skills, unventing ancestral knowledge and technologies we are in risk of losing." As a cook myself, I can say that people are losing touch of the skill of cooking as well. There are very few people I know my age who knows how to cook, and I find that kind of sad. Cooking is an important life skill, and we cannot rely on our parents to cook for us, nor can we rely on eating out. Similarly, it is important to keep the knowledge and skills our ancesters have used, as we never know when we may need it. Lastly, I like how the author talks about the emotional boost of doing the job yourself. As a cook, I grow my own herbs, and I believe that it is the best way to do it. Produce outside is expensive and uses unhealthy preservatives to help the food last. There is no better feeling than growing and making your own food from scratch. Indeed, it does give an emotional boost and makes you feel accomplished.

I myself am not gifted in arts, including arts and craft, but I found those videos very cool. It is incredible how humans were able to come up with such cool techniques and patterns by only using nature and their surroundings. However, I am not quite sure how I would use this in a secondary mathematics class. I am going to need further explanation on how this can be tied into class and how it can tie into the curriculum. 

Thinking about learning gardens

In the reading, I found it interesting how the garden/outdoors was described as a co-teacher, in the sense that it provides an outlet for experiential learning and interaction with the natural world. I think it is a really cool concept. There are many benefits of teaching outdoors. Teaching in the garden is also a great way to foster community building and alleviate the stress and anxiety that students may have in the classroom.  In addition, outdoor learning allows for students to develop an appreciation for nature and our surroundings. However, I do have a couple concerns about working outdoors, some of which are weather conditions, distractions and classroom management. Sometimes, students can be overly excited and easily distracted with their peers. Loud noises from surroundings also can serve as distractions that can sideline students from learning.  With Vancouver especially being cold and raining all the time, outdoor learning can also be difficult and uncomfortable. Regardless, I think these things are manageable. Having the outdoors is an option if the weather is nice and the location is manageable (not too noisy). Addressing classroom management, that is something that any teacher has to develop over time through experience and practice. 

In math, there are a lot of applications and hands on activities that can be done outdoors. Some examples include geometry, trigonometry, measurements, data analysis, etc. I would probably assign mini group projects/assignments outdoors for students. This will give students the opportunity to problem solve and build their critical thinking skills while collaborating and building teamwork. 

Entrance Slip 2023-09-14

Overall, I agree with Grant and Zeichner that reflective teaching is of paramount importance for teachers. When I was working under an LOP, I constantly self-evaluated myself. At the end of each day, I would look for what went well, terribly, and what can be improved. 

For example, one of the games I have used as a teacher for review is Jeopardy. The first time we played the game, students in teams of 5 would discuss the question and then send a representative to answer it. During the game, no matter how much I encouraged collaboration, students would sent their strongest member to solve all the problems. This certainly did not help student learning, especially for the students who were weaker at math. That night, I spent time reflecting on how the game could be improved. I thought to myself, “how do I get every student in every team involved, learning, and helping each other?” Then it dawned on me. The next time we played Jeopardy, I had the students broken up into teams and number themselves 1 through 5. I gave students more amount of time to answer the questions, but there was a twist. When time was up, I would call a random number between 1 and 5, and the student with the corresponding number had to answer the question on the board with full working. This enhanced the collaborative learning experience, as stronger students needed to help weaker students understand the thought process and steps behind each question.

Although this is an old article, I feel like it still applies to teachers today. Throughout my 1.5 years of teaching, I found that collaborating with and observing other teachers was extremely helpful in my self-evaluation. Being able see how other teachers taught allowed me to take the things I liked and mold my own teaching style. Teaching is a life-long learning process, and there is always something new to learn from our fellow teachers, peers, and students as well. Lastly, one of the things Grant and Zeichner mentioned that I never thought of was keeping a teaching journal. The good thing about keeping a teaching journal is that we can always look back, identify areas of improvement/growth, record ideas, provide insights, and even increase self-awareness and observational skills in the classroom. Teaching journals can also serve as a means that helps with critical thinking and problem solving in the classroom. Moving forward, I will consider keeping a teaching journal for better reflective practice.

Exit Slip 2023-09-07

In the beginning of the video, Frank mentions the two schools of thoughts of teaching: being a friend to the students versus being the authoritarian teacher. Our group had a long discussion about finding the balance between the two. Are they mutually exclusive? How do you balance the two? This was a big struggle of mine from my 1.5 years of teaching experience under an LOP. As a young teacher, I was very active and friendly with students. I would play chess, table tennis, and soccer with them as well as engage in casual conversations outside of class. However, doing so also undermined my authority in the classroom as a teacher, as students sometimes interrupts and talked to me without respect, as if I was a friend of theirs. Through my experience, I realized that I've gotten off on the wrong foot and realized the importance to getting the students to differentiate in-class time and out-of-class time. For the future, I realized that it is important to set a more "serious" and "authoritarian" tone for classroom time and teaching. However, it is also okay to keep it casual outside of class, showing the students that you as a teacher care for them. It is similar to the parental role, where there are times to be fun and show compassion, but also times to show tough love.