Elluminate Drafting Style

I will start off by saying; I think that a CTAE course would be one of the most difficult curriculums to conduct an Elluminate course in. Due to the fact that there is so much hands on exploration that takes place in our classrooms. For example, in Engineering Drawing & Design we deal primarily with CAD programs and the introductions of different views of objects. I would have to make certain all students had direct access to the CAD software I was introducing. Also, to be certain that the PowerPoint used in Elluminate had video capabilities. This way I could demonstrate the content area and they could download the video and have it on hand for future references. If not, I could learn more about the screen share command that Dr. Burns used in class this pass Monday. By letting the students have a visual of the exercise assigned, I feel I could demonstrate the use of the program well enough they could complete the assignment on there on. I’m confident enough in my abilities as well as the software utilities I could come up with something.

Drafting on Elluminate

If I were designing an Architecture and Engineering class to be delivered through Elluminate, I would definitely have to plan many different types of activities. First off, whenever I introduce a new topic, I am usually using some sort of CAD program to explain the skill. My Elluminate session would have to have video capabilities as the whiteboard would not be suffice for the lesson.

I also would have to take into account the need to practice the skills learned in the class session. In a face-to-face classroom setting, I am able to walk around the room and observe a student's progress. If I were using Elluminate, I would do the same by setting up individual break-out rooms and enter each room and have a few minutes of one-on-one instruction with the students. Break out room also could be used as we do in NTI. As a transfer-in, I could have students collaborate in their groups to complete some type of review assignment to reinforce the previous content.

These are a few ideas to get the creativity flowing. I'm sure as I began to use the software and it's capabilities, I would come up with different types of strategies for teaching the content.

Elluminate Live

I would love to use Elluminate Live with broadcasting students. I remember when I first began to edit. I had to call my "mac" mentor and communicate over the phone while editing and asking him questions. He had a mac with the same program and so he would answer my questions while we both looked at the software. All of this was done while we both had crooked necks from using the telephone against our ears. How nice it would have been to use the Elluminate system to work together with the new speaker/headsets. As a student, I have found Elluminate to be a great tool for learning. As a teacher, the resource would be a great tool for teaching. The interaction of a classroom or a program would encourage both learning and teaching. Broadcasting is already technical, so to incorporate Elluminate, seems natural. I can envision this software for my students. I could help them with problems and assignments when they are editing outside of the classroom. Not only would my students have interaction with me and other students regarding the lessons, but they would be fine tuning their "online" application skills.
One thing to consider is that not all students have access to computers. Maybe the software could be used in the classroom initially to train the students. After that, those students that have access to computers could benefit at home. Those who don't have at home computers could use computers in the public library or other hopeful options, such as a relatives home.
I would teach the main lesson in the broadcasting lab at school. Alternative learning and additional training could be done after hours for those who had access to a computer. I find that not all of my broadcasting students want to edit. Some prefer filming, anchoring and scriptwriting. Hopefully, the true editors will find a way to access the additional learning time via Elluminate.
I would initially set up with my students the Elluminate program. We would have in class training. The school would provide the headsets. After this we would establish a time for "group learning" online. Those students that need financial aid for headsets, I would provide out of the broadcasting budget. Since Elluminate is on the computer and editing is done on the computer, I can think of many activities to work on with the students. We could learn how to edit together and troubleshoot problems. We could investigate other websites that teach filming and editing tips and share them. One more idea is to work on scriptwriting together. You could visualize the script and discuss it via the internet. This new program venture would develop via trial and error. The reward awaits for those students who make the time and effort to take hold of the opportunity.

Elluminate Live

Designing a course for Elluminate Live would require meticulous planning. You have to have multiple backups plans in case your technology fails. You would also need a great deal of patience for the variety of technology skill levels of the students, and be patient with their technology hiccups. To piggy back off the skill levels of students, you would need to take into account their performance abilities when you create assignments and tasks for them to complete. Activities to include in Elluminate Live would require every student to be active and engaged with some type of responsibility/accountability. It is easy for a student to get off task on the “Internet”, so I would use grouped assignments. I would take advantage of the Internet and create research assignments while students are grouped, allotting time for researching and then a specified time to discuss what they found (maybe share links on the whiteboard).

Elluminate Class

Being that I'm a culinary teacher I feel that using a class structure like elluminate will only work for classes like sanitation or nutrition. Delivering information for classes like this is pretty much lecture. For high school students I feel that a class designed in this manner will be a huge challenge for most students, due to the fact that I feel they mainly need to physically see the instructor and utilizing more hands on techniques. But for a class that consist of mainly lecture it may work to the point that power points,group assignments and various whole class discussions will work because you can conduct a larger class size and possibly cover more information. I do feel that the challenges will out weigh the benefits when it come to high school students. Since you will not be standing in front of them you can't tell if they are really grasping the information being presented or if they are paying attention at all. For adults its great because with various schedules it makes it easier to jump online where ever you are when the class time start. Most teenagers are not that responsible to stop what they are doing to go and log in to an online class.

So all these things would have to be seriously considered before attempting some thing like this on a high school level. With so many distractions ( cell phones, television, ipod, etc) I feel that it would be easy for students to loose focus on what being taught. If this technique was used I know all activities would have to well structured and designed to hold the students attention. SO it would have to be something as a teacher you know they would enjoy for the duration of class. I would maybe have them teach portions of the lesson so they would have to be on point. Work on projects, create power points relevant to the lesson and maybe even design some games focused around the games shows we see on TV daily. This will make it much more interactive and maintain the students attention.

Me personally I enjoy our elluminate class when we work on group activities. It allows everyone an opportunity to participate in class because you basically have no other choice. I also really enjoy being able to be at home or work to complete class/assignments.

Elluminate

Designing a course for Elluminate would offer significant challenges for high school students. Although I believe that any course could be adapted to this technological format, the considerations for general population students would be enormous. First of all, the things I would need to consider; internet access, computer literacy, responsibility, dependability and of course training. Secondly, knowledge and assessment of the individual students would be an important detail in the initial planning phases of an elluminate course. Finally, Healthcare Science as the subject matter will offer a few challenges of its own as well as the high school setting itself. Considering all of these factors, I would be most likely to utilize this as a combination course, live dates and elluminate dates, and with advanced level students only.

The types of activities that I would like to use would include groups, small groups, whole group discussions, brainstorming, panel discussions, lecture, student presentation and group projects. I am not so sure how videos work within this environment but I would use it if adaptable. There are many positive attributes of Elluminate; however, I have difficulty visualizing the program for high school students. I think that it could allow a more detailed or in debt coverage of Healthcare Science theory, especially for the introductory courses. Additionally the technology at hand could improve student accessibility and utilization of technical tools for group projects and presentations. Ultimately, Elluminate has been a wonderful experience for me and has given me additionall insight into the technological advancements that are available to us.

Designing Elluminate Live

One consideration is the knowing and understanding the technical knowledge and ability of the student/client population that you are going to serve. Besides each person’s knowledge and ability, network connections, for example dial up, and Internet Providers will play a factor on how well each student would be able to connect and participate. Another consideration is the ability and age of each student’s computer, for example the IBM 5150 PC ;>) would be impossible to operate in today’s environment. The individuals’ technical understanding could be resolved by taking some courses to help them better understand and perform computer work online. There are several ways to resolve the hardware, software and connection issues. Certainly purchasing and upgrading would be the first and most convenient. Other ways to resolve the connection and hardware/software issue would be to borrow an up to date computer, go to a friend’s house, use one at school or go to a library that provides computers and computer connections.

Another consideration is each individuals learning style or modality. For instance the interpersonal learner that learns best by sharing, comparing and cooperating also learns from eye contact and body language to open communication channels with others. These learners usually try to see things from another person’s point of view, blending it with theirs, to help them gain more understanding. Often they try to maintain peace and cooperation in a group. They often learn from another person’s perspective. Generally they would be able to share, compare and cooperate on line but would not be able to rely on eye contact, (the evil eye, ;>), or body language. They quite possibly would be more reserved in sharing and restricted in learning by not being able to use their full sensory input. The use of web cameras would quite possibly remove those obstacles for the interpersonal learner, making it feel more like a classroom.

Generally there are positive and negative considerations for each of the learning styles pertaining to on line learning, Elluminate. This rule applies to life. Each learning style should be evaluated with a list of what is supported and what is not for the online classes. Also, it should be remembered that we learn from multiple styles having different allocations of how much we learn from each. It is finally up to us as students to manage how we learn by developing all of our learning modalities.

Thanks,
Ron

Designing an Elluminate Class

I think the content and your objectives determine how you want to design the Elluminate class. If you were going to do straight lecture with question and answer you could easily use Elluminate to deliver the PowerPoint and then allow students to chime in. You could have a reasonably large class. The more group work you want to do the smaller the overall class size should be. The training and time need to get use to the program is essential. I think plenty of time has been allowed in our class to get use to it. The pace has been good for me. However, our class is fairly large. The more people in the class the wider the range of abilities are in using this technology. More time may be needed to get everybody up to speed and comfortable with the technology. If you have a lot of content to deliver you may not have the time for that so you need to limit the size of the class. Also, I think instruction in etiquette is needed. How we interact on Elluminate is different than when we are in person in a classroom. Since we don't see faces and may not recognize voices it is more important to announce who is speaking. It is important to know about using the on and off mic button. I think most people have figured it out by trial and error. Also, facial expression is lost even when you hear the voice and misunderstandings or misinterpretations can occur more easily. Feelings can get hurt more easily, tension can build more easily, etc. I think this needs to be thought out and addressed in the beginning to help everyone realize and understand these things. I don't think you should assume everyone knows how to interact in this type of environment. Also, in small group all the members may feel comfortable jumping in but other groups may not. You may have a very silent group who are just waiting for someone else to start. You have a lot of silence wondering who is actually there and participating. I think that group leaders need to be assigned by the instructor before groups are assigned so that the conversation will keep going. Overall, I am enjoying using Elluminate for our class though I am still fearful of how group work will turn out.

Designing an Elluminate Live Course

When designing an Elluminate Live course, I would carefully consider the target audience or student population and perform a needs assessment to determine the overall design of the course and the objectives. The activities would include whole group and small group assignments using the some instructional strategies learned in NTI. In the Health care Science classes, Elluminate Live can be used to delivery the theory using power point presentations before mandatory on site lab experiences.

Truthfully, I would use the same design that Dr. Burns is currently introducing to us in this course. Everything is going well with our class now that we are more comfortable with the technology. Being a participant in this class and experiencing Elluminate Live really helps feel up to date with technology. This experience is also an excellent conversation "piece" when talking with friends.

Elluminate Live

There are always considerations with instruction. Is the equipment available to all students, and proper instruction for its use. I feel our students are more capable, and more at home with technology. Of course we need to have our objectives mapped, then make it interesting. With the internet at our disposal this should be easier. We can offer alternatives that require little effort compared to a traditional classroom. Time considerations to maximize participation, and careful planning would be essential to this type of setting. I subbed for a business class yesterday and the lesson plan for that day would have worked well in this setting. So many students fail their first semester in college do to the lack of regiment they received through high school, I believe this would help their transition. With technology levels of today, and the lower cost of this technology why would we not use it?

Elluminate Live

First, you would need to know how many students would be in the Elluminate Live class. Then, you would need to get a user license for that many students. Next, everyone involved would have to down load the Elluminate Live program, and have the equipment needed to participate during the online class. You would have to make sure you had your lesson plans and power points ready to go. At least one meeting is essential with the students in person to go over the rules and to make sure everyone has everything needed for the class. You would need a rubric explaining the expectations of the class. Also, a syllabus is needed to let students know the dates and times of online sessions. In addition, plenty of tech support is good to have during the online class. I would want to instruct an activity on the first ten amendments of the U.S. Constitution. One activity on the topic could be open discussion. Students would choose one of the amendments. For example, they could choose the second amendment and open up the discussion by stating the federal laws that pertain to the amendment. Students would each have a time to discuss the contents of the amendment. Get students thinking by having them declare if they are in favor of or against gun control? Then, have both sides defend their views. Close out the lesson by having all students going to the teacher’s blog and give an in-depth account of their beliefs. This could lead into your next meeting online by having students rewrite the second amendment in the way they think it should be written.

Elluminate

One of the first things I would consider is what are my objectives for presenting a class on-line and who would my target audience be. Would it be feasible to have high school students
participate in an Elluminate course? This may not be the best option for HS but I can definitely see it becoming the new "way to teach" for technical schools and post secondary. With the economy shakey at present, an elluminate course could prove to be an ideal option for working students. I could also see NTI expanding and creating more elluminate courses in the future. I for one would love to have a constuctive discipline course offered. I think more material can be covered at a quicker pace than in an open classroom setting.

But, as a Healthcare Science teacher if I did use elluminate I would use it primarily for group projects/work. I really like the power points (I am a visual learner) and the ability to download and print off. I like the idea of collaborative learning. I would also use elluminate and offer it to other Healthcare Science teachers for lesson planning and getting new ideas for the material we need to cover. Sometimes as teachers we really don't have the needed collaboration within our own field of teachers. Maybe I will suggest this to the CTAE people and see what their thoughts are!

I think I would have a difficult time adapting to elluminate as a teacher. Kudos to those who are technical capable. I am technically challenged and find it very confusing from a teaching stand point. However if I was going to teach elluminate live, I would use consistant small groups. One I think it gives the students security. Secondly, it would be less confusing for me.

Given the opportunity to teach elluminate: I would teach to my advanced class. This would give me an advatage. I would know my students and their dedicated to education. I would use activities such as: question sheets, discussion groups, and some type of module. I am not sure how difficult this would be, but I am sure I would figure it out. Atleast I hope! :)

Elluminate

If I were going to use elluminate in one of my classes, there are lots of things that would have to be considered. The first consideration I would have to address would be if my students had access to the necessary technology needed to participate in the course. My students are from the lower economic level and alot of them don't have computers at home and rely on the ones at school or the library to complete their work. I would have to jump over that hurdle first. The second consideration would be their level of computer knowlege and ability to access Elluminate. I would have to educate them on the program, how to use it and how to hook up the headset and microphone and then assess thier abilities to use the system by trial and error, much like we have done for this class. Another consideration would be their level of maturity and motivation. As adult learners, we are motivated to attend these sessions and focus on each lesson because our job depends upon this and because we have paid for the course. I don't feel like most of my lower level students would have the maturity to attend class and pay the necessary attention that an elluminate lesson involves. As for the activities I would include, I would like to use short film clips, group work and PowerPoint lessons. The white board would be used for student presentations and of course classroom discussion would be a major activity.

Overall, I love the elluminate technology for myself, but I feel that it may be a little advanced for my students just because the motivation to attend an independent learning session such as this type requires just is not there most of the time.

Elluminate

If I were to do Elluminate lessons I would need to consider the knowledge base of my students as well as their interest levels and academic abilities. With that said, I can see how Elluminate could work for most students and in all of my curriculums. I believe I could easily implement lessons on medical ethics allowing the students the opportunity to discuss the pros and cons of ethical issues. I would also like to try some group work and use the white board as a communication tool.
Reading and writing are really being pushed at my school and Elluminate lends itself well in achieving that goal.
One of the things I really enjoy about Elluminate is that I already know my classmates and can recognize their voices. With that said, as communication occurs, either with the white board, messaging, or voice, I can visualize that person.....guess I'm a visual learner. Knowing the people you are working with makes it fun and adds an element of interest. If I were working with strangers I would have a tendency to be much more reserve.

If I ... Elluminate Live

If I was going to be delivering a course via Elluminate Live, I would have to consider many things. First of all, I would have to consider my students. I need to know how much they know about technology so that I know how much time I need to spend teaching the technology aspect of the course. This would help the course run smoother and save time in the long run. I would need to consider the learning styles of my students. Do they need a Powerpoint so that they can visually see the lesson? Do they need to do an activity? Everyone learns differently, and that should be considered. I would have to consider the schedule. Some students may be teaching until 3:45, so I do not need to start my class at 4:00. I really like the Powerpoints and the group work that is possible with Elluminate Live. It is really nice to be able to read along while the instructor is talking. The group work allows students to check their understanding and to compare understandings.

Josh - Guidance Interview

I think that doing this assignment will be a huge benefit for me as I really don't know much about my school's Guidance Department. I have met the head of the department before and I think that she will be great to work with. I have also decided to interview a few of the other counselors as well. As I am wanting to not only do this project for this assignment, but for future North Cobb students, I intend to get the most out of this. Getting to know what services are offered by the department for students and teachers, will make me a better resource for my students, especially when they have personal issues.

I have enjoyed the blog experience so much that I am doing it with my students now. It is going very well and I think everyone should give it a shot if you haven't yet.

Interview Post

Hey!

I think that building a relationship with all staff is important - with guidance and administrators being right up there. Interviewing a guidance counselor will be helpful because I feel like I know my admin fairly well and interact with them on a daily basis. (By choice, not because I am in trouble.) :) I think that many different departments never see each other and I think there is a disconnect between guidance and many of our teachers. I interact with them but have never really had an opportunity to discuss matters that are important to me, my students, the future of my program, or how a better relationship can be developed through class presentations, collaborative projects, career testing, etc. This will be helpful to see things from their perspective and gain insight on what they do on a daily basis - or on a long term basis from working with an upcoming 9th grader all the way through graduation.

Thanks!
DP

Interview (KJ)

I think the most important aspect of this assignment will give me a chance to have some face time with the counselor of my chosen. I have chosen to speak with the ninth grade counselor at our school. Reason being, I have a ninth grade advisement class. It just made sense for me to speak with her and open the door to a better relationship with her and help give me a better understanding into my ninth grade students as well as the other students in my classes. I feel the more you learn about the trials and tribulations our students face on a daily basis, the better we can reach them on their level. Also, feel the more we inform the schools about our CTAE programs the more of an opportunity we have to give the students a look into a career field they might not have ever been exposed to.

Interview with Counselor

This week I had an opportunity to visit one of our Counselors at one of our home schools. Hopefully this will further open communications between the program I teach as well and the other programs in our school with the four county home schools that our students come from. Better informed students will be able to make choices that reflect their interest and career goals. Also communicating with the Counselors will make them more aware of our school and its programs as choices for their students when it comes to career counseling.

By visiting the Counselor I have gained a better understanding how much their job encompasses and how communicating with them can help me as a teacher. I thought I had an idea about their roles till the interview. I now have a much better appreciation for their role and the services they offer to the student, parent, teachers, school and community. The interview has helped by opening up two way communications on our common goal, preparing the students for their future.

Thanks,
Ron

Guidance Conselor Interview

I believe that any interaction you have with a colleague should be one that leaves both parties more eduacated and informed upon their departure from each other. I have already had many interactions with my counseling deparment-some of which were not so pleasant, but they all left me better informed about the counseling process and them about my program and it's structure. I have had to educate the counselors on issues from the meaning of my class titles to the importance of not having the students skip prerequisite classes. I am looking forward to expanding our knowledge base of one another through this interview.

I think the interview will not only help foster a better working relationship between myself and the counselors but it will allow me to share this information with my other colleagues as well. So many times teachers find themselves at war with the counseling department and in particular CTAE teachers. Specific programs have found themselves to be dumping grounds for the more challenging students with the conselors not having knowledge of the curriculun and the success of the student within it. The counselor's find themseles in difficult situations with having not only to please parents, students and administrators but have to follow specific federal mandates as well which some teachers are unaware of. I would like to make my interview public in some way either by email or as a presentation at a faculty meeting to help close the gap between teachers and counselors.

Counselor Interview

Interview

I think that this assignment has the potential to impact in a number of ways what happens in our programs as well as students lives. First and foremost, I think it will increase the collaboration between the counseling staff and me regarding the best interest of students who are currently in the healthcare science program. Secondly, with a greater understanding of the counseling department’s mission and what services they provide I will be more proactive and less reactive to student’s social, emotional, career, and academic needs. Thirdly, I think students will benefit directly from the collaboration and proactive approach by receiving appropriate, timely, effective interventions that will impact their overall academic performance and future career goals. Lastly, I think it will give me an opportunity to share with the counseling department about the healthcare science program and the advantages it offers to students who are interested in pursuing a career in healthcare.

Counselor Interview Project

Interviewing a counselor can be beneficial in many ways. I believe that the counseling office at my school has a wealth of resources for both my students and myself. Having a one on one conversation with one of the counselors on staff, I hope will enable me to take advantage of the resources available. I also believe that this interview could serve as a way to promote my program. Anytime a counselor sits down with an existing student, or even a new student, I want my program to be one of the first that they suggest! This interview could be used as a time for me to sell my classes to the ones who set the schedules for students. I look forward to completing this assignment and hope that it is a good experience.

Counselor Interview

I am looking forward to my interview with our guidance counselor and learn more about her tasks. I believe this assignment will have a threefold effect on my program and students. Counselors provide invaluable resources of support for students in academic, social and career settings. Academically, counselors assist my students in deciding technical pathways to pursue. They help them to plan curriculums and map out courses they need to complete in order to finish the pathway. Counselors help students seek opportunities to experience various career opportunities through course placement, career testing, presentations and counseling. Ultimately, counselors help students balance their academic loads with the social and personal aspects of their lives. Often times, students are at the crossroads in their lives. They are trying to balance school with social acceptance, family challenges and the mere physical aspects of growing up. Although I am knowledgeable of the subject matter I teach, my insight related to the tasks of the counselor are very limited. My ultimate goal is to ensure the success of my students. Having counselors to help my students develop a academic maps, guide them through the curriculums and see to it that social and personal challenges are minimized that impede their opportunity to succeed.

Counselor Meet and Greet

It is often difficult to understand what exactly a job intales without actually getting some one on one feedback from a person working within that specific field. Therefore, I look forward to speaking with a counselor at my school so that I may gain more insight as to the details of his or her workload. Some of the things I know counselors are responsible for are student schedules, helping with personal or school related problems, enrollment, college planning, etc. I almost think of them as the department that handles the majority of the school "issues." I can think of several counselors at my school that I know I will actually enjoy talking with and honestly, this assignment makes me wonder why I haven't taken the time previously to do this on my own. I think that having a good relationship with the counselors can be beneficial to my program because counselors play such a large role in the development of student schedules. I look forward to this opportunity to build a connection that I do not currently have. This will be a fun assignment!

Interview

I think this will be a great assignment and very informal due to the fact that we are the first school in the Atlanta Public Schools system to integrate the Small Learning Communities. Interviewing our guidance counselor will help me understand how the system breaks down each student’s data. Obtaining this vital information I think will translate to the teacher understanding more about a student and their particular needs within the classroom.

I think this will be a great benefit to me as well as the students. This will allow me to access the student by their learning styles and their behavior needs. I really feel that this will ultimately help me to be more effective as a teacher and provide my students the best learning environment possible.

Counselor Interview

I look forward to completing this assignment this week. I gave both of our school's counselors a preliminary question page to look over. They were very excited about the interview that I will be conducting. I have had a few good interventions that were handled by our counselors to perfection. I knew both of our counselors outside of school before I started teaching. They are Saints. The many job responsibilities that they have are awesome. During my preliminary talks with them, they both say that they only have about 25 percent of their day to do their real job. I have noticed that they work very close with the social worker and the school nurse. Those two are only part time for one day a week so the counselors have to do their jobs also. The paperwork and reporting detail looks horrendous. I do look forward to doing my report.

Counselor Interview

I have not conducted the interview with my counselor yet; however, I can't wait.  I believe that it will give me a much better insight as to how the scheduling system works, as well as lining students up with pathways for their education.  I also want to understand the counselor's thought processes to finding the exact fit for students, lining up their classes/schedules.  I believe that it will also "connect" me with the counselors.  This will help me understand if they have a good understanding of the classes in the Healthcare Science pathway.  This will greatly benefit my students because we'll get students into the program who really want to be there and the counselor and I can  move them closer to a career of their choice by understanding each other.

Interviewing a counselor became my assignment for the week. I feel this process helped understand what the counselors deal with and the stress at times they submit themselves to. Mr Hardy at Morrow High School became my task. I really feel comfortable speaking with him because from the first day at Morrow he helped me gain knowledge on how to recruit students for my program. When I first came to Morrow I actually had to go from class to class recruiting students to make my program of Criminal Justice interesting to the student body and he had a big hand in my success. I feel the program runs better when your administrators and counselors involve themselves. I have heard horror stories from other schools in my county how CRJU has become a dumping ground for students who continue to show bad behavior, but I beleive because of my relationship with the coounselors I receive students who really and truly want to learn about Criminal Justices Information. Couselors can make your studentgs who you receive be the blood line of your program.

Interview with School Counselor

I am hopeful that the interview with the school Counselor will give me an extra opportunity to explain the Health care Science Pathways again. I have already had many discussions with the school counselor regarding the need to place students in my class when they can't find an appropriate fit. These are usually the students that do have an interest in health care and are usually the ones that will cause class disruptions. Most importantly I want to discuss class size and find out what can be done to limit the class size to around 20 students. Large classes in HSTE Pathways are difficult to manage when performing hands on skills and making certain that all have meet the criteria. I am very curious about the practices and procedures used for placing students in the HSTE classes. Certainly there has to be a set of guidelines used to make these decisions. I am also concerned about the push for every child to go to college and the realistic expectations for every child. I really don't hear much in my school about the Technical School/College approach and the good opportunities offered in those educational settings. I a really looking forward to the face to face opportunity to sit and have that one on one conversation with the School
Counselor. I can see that she works very hard but she also seems very relaxed mosted of the time even during the hectic scheduling time. If nothing else comes out of the interview I hope she can share some of her techniques for relaxing with me.

Mamane on Couselor Interview

I have yet to conduct my interview with a counselor, and I can't wait to get it done. I understand, now, that, as teachers, it's crucial to have a good relationship with the counselors. Ultimately, they are the ones who choose your students for you -- in a way. That is, those students who did not choose your program are placed in there by counselors. It's important that they understand the dynamic of the courses you teach and where those course take the students. I have had several phone conversations with counselors regarding the students they put in my classes. This year alone, I've had several students placed into my program who have had trouble with the law -- one in particular who is COURT-ORDERED to attend school and who spent time in jail for STEALING. Great candidate for a program that deals with thousands of dollars worth of equipment...

At this point, I really need to understand the counselor's point of view. I know they have a job to do, and it would help me be more patient with the decisions they make (one counselor in particular knows my concerns with their "dumping" students in my program). I've decided to develop a brochure on Broadcast Video Production for counselors to have on hand to give to students who can't decide which pathway elective to take. I think that would take some of the burden off of the counselors who have to find a spot to plug in students. Ultimately, this should help "align" students to the pathway best for them.

Counselor Interview

Well, I didn't initially think that the counselor's did a lot during the day, but when I actually tried to track one down to set up an interview it was really difficult! I think this interview project will cause me to achieve a difference perspective and appreciation for what our counselor's actually do. From speaking with one counselor for a few minutes, they are panicking about graduation now. We, as teachers, get the bulk of our graduation work/duties at the end of April or May. I've never really understood their thought process on putting students into my automotive class. The majority of my first year students tell me they were just signed up for automotive. Also, I have eight students in ONE CLASS, that are wonderful probationers of our school probation officer. In my opinion, that is why that class period is so...... less than desirable! So, it would be interesting to me to know exactly how much thought process and consideration is put into scheduling students for classes. Also, what factors are taken for students that continue to fail the same subject, such as Algebra or Literature. CTAE courses mandate a certain amount of mathematics, science, reading and writing. Ideally, we as CTAE Teachers, do not want to have the students that refuse to try to learn reading and writing. Well, I hope I get a lot out of the interview. I definitely have some big questions to ask! Have a great weekend!

Counselor Interview

With this interview, I am hoping to establish the kind of relationship with the school counselors that I have never had before. For example, the interview may create an environment where I can request not to be “dumped on” as my class seems to fill up with students that hates being in my class. It is very difficult to actually manage a class when you have half the students in your class did not sign up for it. It may also give me an insight in the protocols or procedures counselors follow to create schedules. Sometimes I often wonder about what it is they are thinking about when they make these schedules. From my finite point of view, because I do not do the job of course, counselors seem to just throw people in my class because of convenience! I could be wrong, but the result is always undisputable. The students that end up in my class are wonders why they are in there.

Interview

Yeah... this is something i said I wanted to start doing before the beginning of the school year so that counselors can have a clear understanding of what goes on in the culinary classroom. As we all know Career Tech is treated like a step child but in all honesty our programs are just as important as core classes. I feel this will really strengthen the program because once the counselors get the understanding of all the things involved and the detail that goes into anything that we do they will place the students there that ONLY want to be in our classes. For me dealing with so much dangerous equipment can cause harm to a lot of people if someone does not follow procedure properly or listen carefully to instructions. Career tech is also the saviour for many of our students that are not college bound, we given them other alternatives and show them that can achieve anything they set there mind to. Retrospectively it will make the programs grow and gain better recognition, when others see so many students coming out of our programs continuing on to make it life career. Sometimes I feel that our counselors are a little misinformed when it comes to our programs, they don't see nor understand the ineptness that goes into our finished products ( students). This is one assignment I feel will give great benefit to Career Tech.

Interview assignment

Anytime an assignment makes us seek out new information there will be a positive benefit. I have not done my interview yet because I am still trying to decide what benefit I want from this assignment. I was initially leaning towards doing an interview with a technical school administrator because I felt a need to start building better bridges for my students to the community and get better opportunities for them to experience health care. However, after reading the posts this week I see a lot of benefit in interviewing the school counselor. I have not had much interaction with my counselors at all. At our school all teachers are expected to participate in a twice a year event called arena planning where students have the maps to be completed for their four years and go to each department to get counseled on what classes to take. Students have come to the career tech department and ask questions to determine what the classes are like. We ask get to ask the students questions to help determine what their likes are and what their goals are. I would like to know though, what the counselors know of my program and how they help students decide to take my classes. I have had good experiences so far with students wanting to be in my class overall. Next year, however, we are going to a modified block schedule and it has been stressed that all classes will be scheduled to capacity because new teachers will not be hired, hopefully no one is laid off, and normal attrition of teachers will not be filled. This could impact my class in that I will have more students who are not interested in health care. I do feel that now is an important time to may the connections I need to make with the counselors and find out their perspectives on my program.

Interview

I think it is a wonderful idea to interview faculty from different positions at school. I am looking forward to interviewing one of our counselors to get an insight into what she deals with daily. I have spoken with the different counselors many times with student issues. But I know they do a lot more than just put out fires! My youngest daughter is a junior this year at the school I work at and she has an interest in counseling. So this interview will serve dual purpose. Perhaps the information I gain will help her also in her quest for a career. It is also my hope that this interview will help me to better understand my students and their issues. I am sure that the counselors have a totally different take on my students than I do.

Interview

I really think that interview the counselor  at my school will be informative because of the fact that I speak with her on a regular basis. I learned early that school counselors can be a big help to you if you can get them on your side. This is a fact because the are the ones who adjust the schedules for the students. In past school years I have ended up with some of the schools most troublesome student in one class together, but because I had a good relationship with the counselors I was able to have those students moved from my class the next semester. 

Another good point to having a relationship with the counselor is when comes time to make the schedule for the upcoming school year you can have more input on what time you want a certain class to be and which students maybe able to be placed together in your advanced classes. I have a great respect for high school counselors because their job seems to be very tiring and never ending because of the many things that they deal with scheduling and etc, seems that they never really get the chance to actual council someone.

Interview with counselor

I look forward to the interview that I have set up with the school counselor this week. It is "counselors" week at the school. So, I plan on getting my interview for my class but plan also to do a story for the school news. I believe that the interview will enlighten me as to the vast responsibilities of our school counselors. I have a mindset about what I believe they do, but do I really know ? I am familiar with all three of my school counselors. I see them as busy, caring and directed. There has been some opportunity to see them intercede in a meeting or counsel with a student. However, I have never really taken the time to ask what their job description encompasses. I feel that the discussion with them will give me deeper insight into what a high school counselor does for its students. By understanding this better, I can better promote the counselors and their services to my own students. Better yet, as a broadcasting teacher, I can promote all of the counselors as an entirety to the student body.

Dallas,J Counselor

I do believe the interview is going to be a real plethora of information. I personally will be interviewing my SEVLT who is the counselor at my school. But she has also been in many setting of the educational process. Being that our school is all IEP students our counseling staff has to have good credentials. The information we can gain I think will be very useful, and the resources that can be learned as well. If you probe you will find that the councilor is probably the most important person in the school. Our councilors have so many connections with help for our student not only in school, but after school and their families. I know alot about what our councilors, but after this interview I think I will really know what they do and how to use all of the resources that we can use for our students.

Dallas,J Sharing Information

Hello all! I don't know how many of you have a co-teacher or paraprofessional in your class room. If you do here is a good suggestion. Inform your para. or helper of the things we have been learning in NTI. I have a para. in my class who has been in the teaching business for many years before NTI was established. As I have learned new things in the class and found so many new ways of doing things, felt it necessary to school my paras with this information. This is part of the cooperation that must be in the classroom. If the students see a flaw in the teamwork they will exploit this fast. There must be teamwork for the class to operate correctly. I was having trouble before with this para not wanting to follow the lesson plans, and wanting to do things the way he felt. After several team meetings and me sharing the information from NTI with him he completely turned around. I think all paras should at least have to take the summer class of NTI,also, this would greatly help teachers in the classroom. Especially the ones who have been teachers in the past.

Counselor Interview

I expect to gain valuable insight into a counselor’s roles and responsibilities. I believe that knowledge is power and in the end will always be an asset. Since I am not in a traditional school, I have given quite a bit of thought to this project and appropriate questions to ask my counselor. She has already been helpful in many ways some probably traditional and some could be a stretch, I am actually unsure. I have had a couple of students who were homeless and she has helped them in many ways. She has asked me to assist students that were badly in need of “extra help” in order to graduate.
I have seen her be very tough on a student with a tremendous amount of absenteeism, but yet she gave him another chance. I really learned something from that encounter.

The interview questions hopefully will elicit the information I need to improve my program. For instance, one question that I cannot wait to ask is “How is the information about my program communicated to other counselors? I have had many students tell me that their counselors or advisors knew nothing of my program and others have told me that they were told it didn’t exist. On another occasion, I had a student placed in my class after two thirds of the program was complete and the student was seeking certification and was told she could catch up. SOooooooooo………I expect improvement.

Counselor

I haven't conducted my interview yet because I am still thinking about various ways to formulate my interview questions. I am in a different position than most because our school is changing from the "block" style learning day to the "hybrid" or combination of traditional and block class lengths. This will greatly affect my program as well as the ways counselors place students. The counselors may be considering a new approach on how they look at recommending students.

We will have 7 periods daily with an optional zero period, and a study hall/"enrichment"/homeroom period two to three days a week. Thursdays are professional development days and students won't come in until about 9:30 in the morning.

There is so much going on in our school with the new schedule and with budget cuts that it's hard to speculate about how it will affect my program. Nonetheless, building a solid relationship with counselors would definitely be a valuable asset to the courses I teach. Effective communication will give our counselors a true perspective of what the courses have to offer. For example, when I first began teaching they were telling everyone my class was like "CSI", which is not even remotely close and some students were disapointed with that. These efforts will also keep our counselors up to date on changes with our curriculum or other areas of the program. If the counselors have a greater knowledge base of what I teach, they will also be able to compare those qualities to the qualities or interests of the students to make a "match" or effective placement which is a benefit to the students.

Counselor Int.

I have become very familiar with our counselor this year. This is my first year at this high school. My experience last year made me very aware of the benefits of having communication with your school counselors. You can see what students are interested in your class and decide which students you would or wouldn't accept in your class. Sometime the counselor will say give you advice on what to expect from the students.

My counselor this year has been a great help. She keeps us aware of scholarships and any opportunity that will benefit my students. She also holds different classroom meetings for our students about financial aid, colleges etc. Also she is a good person to talk to about anything. Interviewing her for my project will assist my classroom even more.

Interview

I have set up an appointment to interview one of our school counselors. We have 3 school counselors and they are incredibly busy with over 2000 students to place in 4 blocks every semester and all classes must be toward their graduation goal. It took the counselor 2 days just to find a good day for me to come in so that I could do the interview, so I know they are always backed up. It astounds me that not only do they do all the scheduling, but they also help students with crisis issues, help with all standardized testing and help arrange assemblies and speakers to the school in general. I believe that knowing this information will help me to appreciate the counselors even more than I already do. It will also help me to know when to send a student to a counselor and when I need to just tell the student that just because they want to take health occupations but is now placed in cosmetology (because that is what they put on their schedule card last semester) they cant' just randomly change their mind at anytime during the semester. I will also be able to recommend resources to students that the counselors offer and know more about what may be helpful to the students throughout the year.

Counselor

After assessing the responsibilities facing the counselors, I already have a new appreciation for them. Just considering the social issues that arise, this alone seems insurmountable. Given all the other requirements to see our students to graduation, their patience, resolve, caring, and logistical skills far exceed most I have known. I am fortunate to work for and be a part of North Paulding High School. Being surrounded by professionals in every aspect demands me to give the best of myself to the benefit of my students. I believe good communication with the counselors is essential for them to do their job well, this in turn will benefit our programs. These professionals are often taken for granted. Without their diligence we all would fail our wards.

Counselor Interview

When we were given this assignment, I was really excited. I was quick to decide that my choice would be an interview with a counselor. From the information I would learn, it would help make a connection between my students and me. I have not had the interview with a counselor yet, but it is scheduled. Maybe, after the interview, the counselor can come in my classroom to show how teachers and counselors work together as a team to meet their needs. I am looking forward to this chance to learn more of how to help my students. It will possibly show where my students are going with the information I'm teaching them, and help them process the information. If they are having trouble with processing it, I might be able to recognize it before it gets away from us. The key to this is to catch it early, before they feel overwhelmed. This will also show the students a bridge between the teachers and the counselors. This will also help in communication with parents as well.

Counselor Interview

Interviewing our counselor gave me a much better insight into their role. The way it can help me is when I have a question about a student, I should start with the counselor. I did not realize all the data that they have even before a student enters high school. They work with all of our middle schools counselors informing students about the difficult curriculum at our school so as to help students to make better decisions before applying for the lottery( we accept 200 students a year out of 500 application).. Also, by meeting with parents and students they help weed out students that should not be at our school. This process along with our summer boot camp for freshmen that the counselors run for a week each year help students and parents make better decission. Our students have to do on the average of three hours of home work each night. Because of this we get better prepared students which makes teaching a much easer job. One of the things that I plan to do in the future is to bring the counselor into my classroom to make students more aware of the services that they offer. I think that this could help students make better decisson and prepare them better for college and the type of career program that they want to purpose.

Interview Post Secondary Technical College

One of your assignments this semester involves interviewing either a guidance counselor or a technical school administrator. How do you think completing this assignment could effect your program, and ultimately your students?

My interview was with an administrator at a Technical college. I previously went several counselor meetings while with the Cobb County School District nurse program. I had a good idea of their role in the high school setting but I realize you can always learn more. After interviewing and touring Chattahoochee Technical college I can attest to the validity and cruciality of this technical college. One of the most interesting facts that I left with was how graduates from one particular county in Georgia usually had to place their students in lower level and some remedial college classes until they "caught up". Oddly enough, this was the county I had previously taught in. The two areas that these students required help in were Math and English. I found this so enlightening and very helpful when dealing with students.
I gained valuable knowledge regarding the various degree, diploma, and certificate programs. One of my challenges as a Healthcare Science teacher was in answering questions students had about options after HS. I was not too familiar with the technical college level. I feel more confident now when these types of questions arise. I previously tended to steer healthcare students to a 4-year college path. But I realize that this is not the path for many students and now feel much more confident when explaining the different programs of study at the technical college level.

Effect My Program

Three years ago when I began my teaching career, my mentor gave me some good advice. The part of his advice that I remember the most is to make sure you don’t get the guidance counselors upset with you. Therefore, your program will always have the cooperation and assistance that comes from the guidance counselors. The guidance counselors and I make every effort to work together to make sure the students get the courses they need to complete high school. My program has grown for two reasons. First, I strive to give the students the best I have to offer. Second, I work closely with the guidance counselors by taking students in my class that are sometimes difficult to accommodate. Guidance counselors have a large responsibility to the students, parents and teachers of the school they represent. The counselors at our school are true professionals and have help make my program a success. By interviewing a guidance counsler, I believe I will gain more insight on ways of making my program more effective for the students.

Counselor

Learning more about something always has some effect on the learner. The assignment will help me learn more about the functions and responsibilities of the school counselor. What I learn will help me to better understand the role of my counseling department. If I understand more about the purpose of the counseling department, then I will be able to utilize it more effectively. If I do not know about something, then I can't use it like it is supposed to be used. I will know how to help my students when they come to me with problems or concerns if I know that the counselor is there to handle that specific problem. I may be able to make the counselor an active participant in my program. She can help my students prepare for life after high school. An important part of my program is to prepare students for what happens after graduating high school. When I discover whether or not my counselor's purpose is to work with my program, I will better be able to use the service as a resource for my program.

Interview

I think that by interviewing one of our school counselors I will gain a better understanding of the offerings of the guidance office. As a teacher I see e-mails, flyers and hear announcements but I seldom understand what prompts these messages. I also hope to gain a better understanding of the testing available that is done through the counseling office. Then, how can I assist my students with deciding to take the test, or understanding the results of the test.
We have advisement weekly at the CA, but the time is often wasted. I would like to get some ideas from my counselor to use during advisement such as leadership, personal qualities, employability. Yes, I know much of this, but what I know is healthcare specific and I would like to expland my advisor portfolio to encompass activities that meet all of my students needs.
And last, I am interested in learning how the counseling office works. How is scheduling done, and what must occur to make changes in sheduling. With this knowledge I can better assist all fo my students in their decision making.

Reports

I have completed these reports and have found great resources. I had no idea the counseling office had so much to offer. They provide various services to students and teachers. The students can get not only academic help, but social or personal advice. Adolscence is tuff, so to have someone to help you through it is great. Also, it is very convenient being located in the school. They offer teacher support by being present during parent teacher conferences. That is a huge plus to me.

I try to stay in touch with all the post secondary schools. I invite them to visit and speak to my classes. This gives the students a chance to ask questions and watch demonstrations. Gives the schools a chance to promote themselves. It is a win-win situations for everyone involved.

Lavoie Videos

One important point that Mr. Lavoie made in his video that stands out to me was the fact that there is no compensation for social skills. These students face social isolation and social rejection frequently throughout the day. How do we as educators facilitate their understanding of what is socially acceptable behavior and the unwritten curriculum of the school they attend? I like how Mr. Lavoie explained that we needed to do a social skill autopsy by examining and inspecting the cause of the social error. Mr. Lavoie stressed the importance of using the error that the student committed as an opportunity to teach the appropriate social skill versus using blame and punishment towards the student. I had never given much thought to the unspoken rules of school until Mr. Lavoie explained what a challenge this could be for the student with special needs. Now I understand how this could be quite challenging for some students and will use this increased awareness to guide students in the future who may face these challenges.

Rick Lavoie Videos

Both of the videos by Rick Lavoie have influenced me greatly. After watching them, I have a new outlook toward several of my students who are special or labeled as LD. The most striking thing that I have realized is that the videos point to a much, much wider audience. What I mean by "audience " is that the same ideas and techniques are needed by many of my students that are not under that "label". Students that are "normal" would benefit from the ideas and techniques used by Rick Lavoie. The three things needed by us to work effectively with learning disabled children should also by used all the time by effective teachers.
The most important thing that I learned were that any negative reinforcement only stops the behavior for that moment. Postive reinforcement , by praise and reward, will succeed because it will change behavior. It is always easier to express the immediate negative response, rather than taking the time to come up with the correct one. The seven questionable behavioral practices illustrated by Lavoie pointed out some of my own miscues. Also the three reasons why students argue with a teacher are classic discriptions of misbehaviors in my classes. I have used the postive poker chip technique with very good results with some very severe ADD adults and students. The use of poker chips will always be on my mind when confronted with any LD person. As Lavoie states, we all must be a "Talent Scout" to be able to find out what talent or gift a student has.
The second video was also good in that it pointed out we must always be teaching "Social Skills". The environment that our students have experienced may be so different from normal that many skills, learned at an early age, have been lost or not even taught. We have difficulty teaching those skills because they are so natural to most of us. The LD student does not learn the same way as what we have been able to. What seems so normal to us is very strange to the LD student. It makes it very difficult for us to teach because we know it really well. The point about not be able to question things to be able to learn was totally new to me.
I hope we can view more videos like these. I feel that the hidden social skill education and the unwritten curriculum are one of the major education problems that we have today.

Rick Lavoie Videos

“Learning disabilities: The real challenge is educating those that don’t have one.” This statement by Rick Lavoie lingers in my mind as I work with each of my students. It reminds me of the statement, “Half of the battle in resolving a problem is realizing that you have one.” So often, we do not realize we are doing things incorrectly. It is not until we see it done another way with better results do we realize something is incorrect about our method.

The information Mr. Lavoie provides not only identifies strategies and illustrates how to work with learning disabled students; it serves as a great resource for working with all students and people in general. The importance of providing the “chips” and being a talent scout cannot be stressed enough. It is amazing what a little bit of praise or positive reinforcement does for a youngster’s self esteem and initiative. When classes started this semester you can be assured that each of my students had a full stack of chips to start the semester. For those that have started to loose some, I have implemented ways for them to get more as quickly as possible. Having the right tools to teach makes such a difference in accomplishing the task with the most positive results.

Rick L. videos

The fact that was most thought provoking to me was the idea of individualism within thought processes. I have several special education students who do a great job in broadcasting but they require direction in a different way than a mainstream student. The video session reminded me of the lessons learned in my exceptional child class. As a teacher, I need to be in tune with all of my students and their strengths and weaknesses. There are a variety of learning styles and my classroom should offer lessons that cater to each type of student. I have a special education student presently who does not do well with written tests. He is better able to relay his information to me verbally. I accept this, understanding that this is the best way for him to present his learned information to me. I cannot work in a box as a teacher and have students succeed. My desire is to get to the root of each student's learning style and to help them experience their ultimate potential. Their way does not have to be my way or the highway. I will have achieved success as a teacher, when I am able to accept the differences with special needs students and have helped them reach their highest possible achievement in my class. Rick Lavoie presented material that was both informational and positive. I will remember various points that will help me become a better instructor.

Rick Lavoie Videos

Since I have several learning disabled students in my classes, the Rick Lavoie was very enlightening and informative for me. The information from the video has helped me in dealing with each disabled student on an individual bases. I have seen both of these videos in classes I have attended in the past. But, watching the video for the second time has made this information much clearer. I use several of Lavoie strategies with my learning disabled students and I have had considerable success. After watching the videos, I have more patience and indulgence when dealing with learning disabled students. The main thing I have learned is the difference between disabled learners and handicap students. I believe the videos are very beneficial for all teachers to view.

Lavoie Videos

The Lavoie videos were a reminder of how every learner absorbs knowledge differently. Although I try to remind myself to be empathetic to the various circumstances that exist within the minds of the children within the classroom, it can be difficult to empathize with a student when they are off task or causing a disruption. Through his videos, Lavoie reminds us that ones behavior is typically an act of something that is going on within and he shows us various ways to deal with such situations.

Lavoie reminded me to take a step back before reacting. He reminded me to remind myself that exhibiting patience and understanding can be more effective than embarrassment and intolerance. Showing a student that you care about them and providing them with a comfortable learning environment are two key elements in teaching a classroom full of various learning levels.

Rick Lavoie Videos

The Rick Lavoie video series should be included in the orientation process for all school systems. Mr. Lavoie has a gift for making the language of dealing with students with special needs less complicated and easier to understand. After viewing the video series, I understand the social skills of the special needs child better and I have made conscious efforts to communicate the subject matter on a level that all can understand without labeling. I was most impressed with the definitions for "no attention span" and "distractibility". Now that I am more aware of these students, I have made adjustments to ascertain successful outcomes. On a daily basis I am making every effort to make sure all children, especially those with special needs, "go to bed with more poker chips than what they woke up with. I am making more of a conscious effort to look at the world in the eyes of the students I am working. Most important "consistency" in dealing with children, not just adolescents, has always been a key factor in raising children to realize their fullest potential.

Lavoie Movies

The Lavoie movies have given me great insight into the life of an exceptional child. He explains things so simple. The tools he has given us will be used in the classroom and in everyday life. As he mentioned when disscussing the childs behavior be sure to separate the child from the action he or she did. Also when speaking to the parents start with the positive things their child has accomplished then speak on what needs to be addressed and then end the conversation with the positive. 

I am taking an exceptional child class now and we saw one of the videos. It still had an effect on my outlook. We also had to give presentation on certain disorders. My group had Visually Impaired/Blind. Most of the teaching strategies for our presentation were the same as the ones Lavoie pointed out for a learning disable student. Things videos have given me the ability to look at everyone the same by acknowledging the differences we all possess. 

Richard Lavoie Movies

The Richard Lavoie videos have made me more aware of the need to build all students self-esteem, to make sure that all students have enough poker chips to get through their school day and to contribute to their lifelong chip account. After all, some students may only have an opportunity to get their chips from you. It is important to value each individual student on his/her individual strengths and especially to never compare. Sometimes that can be hard to do.

I have always have held a high consciousness for the fact that we need to build self esteem but what I did not realize was how easy it can be to take away chips without even being aware that your were doing so. We are often so unaware of our comments in our rush to accomplish all of our tasks. It is very easy to convey disappointment without even knowing it and that is one of the things that the child/student has the most difficulty dealing with.

The Rick Lavoie movies have certainly made me more aware of the need to use reinforcing feedback and support. Even when we are being critical we must be reinforcing and focus on the task or behavior supporting what is expected. These movies are very informational, a must for all to see.

Thanks,
Ron

Richard Lavoie Movies

The Richard Lavoie videos have made me more aware of the need to build all students self-esteem, to make sure that all students have enough poker chips to get through their school day and to contribute to their lifelong chip account. After all, some students may only have an opportunity to get their chips from you. It is important to value each individual student on his/her individual strengths and especially to never compare. Sometimes that can be hard to do.

I have always have held a high consciousness for the fact that we need to build self esteem but what I did not realize was how easy it can be to take away chips without even being aware that your were doing so. We are often so unaware of our comments in our rush to accomplish all of our tasks. It is very easy to convey disappointment without even knowing it and that is one of the things that the child/student has the most difficulty dealing with.

The Rick Lavoie movies have certainly made me more aware of the need to use reinforcing feedback and support. Even when we are being critical we must be reinforcing and focus on the task or behavior supporting what is expected. These movies are very informational, a must for all to see.

Thanks,
Ron

Don't take away my poker chip...

Hey Everyone,

Happy Sunday. The videos were valuable to me in that they showed me a new perspective of viewing people and interacting with them. Regardless of whether "special" ed or "regular" ed, I think this mindset should be applied always when dealing with students. How many times have we witnessed kids taking chips away from each other? Or a teacher taking away from a student? Or as hard it may be to admit...how many times have we taken away chips? The videos presented situations in a Hit Home kind of manner and I actually have put his thinking into application. I try my best to be positive always and to build people up even though I have my moments of jokes and sarcasm. I guess long story short, you never really know what people are going through..what happened that morning, the night before, right before they entered your class even - so we should be mindful knowing we can make an impact and be in a position to give back those chips instead of taking them away.

50,000 chips to you all.

David

Videos

I honestly enjoyed the videos because it opened my eyes to have a better and clear understanding of seeing things from the students view. Sometimes we overlook or think that once we teach it everyone in class has gotten the information presented. With the videos and the Exceptional Ed course that I have previously taken it gives me such a better insight to how to help all students gain an understanding of information. I really enjoy working with my special needs students because once they accomplish something it gives my general ed students more of a push. I will never forget one of my students that would stand to the side and really not participate in classes and labs but one day after speaking with him and giving some encouraging words I decided I wanted him to be group leader. The kids in his group thought I was crazy and he was a little reluctant. Surprisingly he really opened up, started answering questions in class and proved that he to could accomplish anything. At the end of last semester he came to me to say thanks, for the first time he had friends and the kids would speak to him in the halls. :) I was so excited for him. I look at the each child that I teach as my own, how would I want the teacher to help them reach the next level. This job has proven to have its ups and down but for me it is more of the ups.

Rick Lavoie Videos

These videos have been very helpful and informative for me. Rick has a way of presenting information in a very tangible format. His examples, stories, and perspective helped me actually "see" what it must be like to be a special needs student. Things were brought to my attention that I would never have thought of or considered. The perspective of the adolescent was especially helpful for me and also the "poker chip" system. We all want to have a positive balance and as a teacher I would never purposefully want to take away from a students "balance". Through watching these videos I have been made more aware of what actions I can do to add to that balance and also actions that would take away. We can never discuss the needs and perspectives of our students too much. We will always be better teachers if we can place our selves occasionally in our student's shoes. I think we will be less frustrated and less likely to get burned out.

RL Videos

Mr. Lavoie's perspect on special needs children has influenced the way I deal with all types of students. Everyone has "poker chips". While I may not have the opportunity to learn what everyone's specific chips are, I always try to say something positive and give compliments to everyone. I love his spin, his practical exercises, and his demonstrations. They have really opened my eyes to a new world and a new way of thinking.

I wish all the teachers at my school would take the time to watch his video's. Especially our parapros and special ed teachers. Sometimes they can come across so harsh, like they forget so easily how these children operate.

I really enjoyed these videos and will recommend them and share them during our department collaboration, advisory committee meetings, and professional learning sessions.

Visit Rick Lavoie's Website at: http://www.ricklavoie.com/gateindex.html

Lavoie Videos

Rick Lavoie videos have influenced my thinking and actions in multiple ways.
For the first time, I felt that I was able to actually experience what the students with special needs experience on a daily basis. The concepts seemed so simple once they were explained in terms that I could relate to as an adult. Sometimes we forget to view actions and problems from the perspective of our students. Difficult as it may be sometimes, it is the pathway to understanding the pain these students experience. I especially love the self esteem portions of the lesson and the illustrative example of the poker chips. Additionally the adolescent lesson was invaluable. I knew the stressors associated with being a teenager and that being embarrassed about nearly any and every thing associated with adults was first and foremost the driving force for most misconduct. Mr. Lavoie brought this back to the forefront in my memory bank.
Thanks NTI for the opportunity…I plan to purchase the series

Rick Lavoie Videos

The information from video was very knowlegable it helped me understand the views of students with disabilities involving social skills. I have a student in my class with special needs, normally when I go over a topic in class she may ask several questions and at times she may interupt the class during the lesson. From watching the video it gave me ideas on how to deal with the matter and allow for the student not to fill out place or disrespected. I fill once you allow time for trust and respect it opens a window of oppurtunity to provide a foundation for learning that helps students with speacial needs and gets everyone in class involved the lesson and task. Everything has been smooth sense the start of Semester.

Rick Lavoie Videos

Although I was only privledged to view one of the Rick Lavoie videos, I was greatly influenced by what the author shared. I viewed the video on social skills in which Mr. Lavoie discussed social skils and whether they should be tought by teachers. I believe that as as educator you have no choice but to teach social skills because of the amount of time that you spend with the students. Although most students' behavior is not that far removed from when they are around their parents, they tend to do more acting out and exemplify more socially incorrect behavior at school. That acting out most of the time will cause a teacher to intervene and attempt to correct or repremand that student's actions. Mr. Lavoie's video laid out some very simple intructions on how to deal with social misbehaviors.

The suggestions that Mr. Lavoie shared on how to correct and teach those social skills was very insightful. A few of the key point that stuck with me were that: 1) we have to look at the world through the eye of the adolescent, 2) we have to teach the culture that they are in in order to achieve the correct social skill, 3) everything has to be broken down to it's most finite point and every social rule should be used as an opportunity to learn and teach. I have put a couple of these key points to use and have also shared them with a few of my colleagues at school. But the main conclusion that I brought away from the video is that there seems to be a fine line being drawn between special needs students and general education students. They all can use a social autopsy on occaision and we as educators have to be prepared to use that oppotunity to acknowledge the error, determine the damage and teach prevention of it's reoccurence.

LLL

I must say that the videos where quite entertaining and at the same time brought a tremendous amount of insight into my views of special needs children. I do not teach “certified” special needs children that I know of. But by watching the videos, I realize that I teach a lot of special needs students or are they? In one of the examples in the videos, the instructor talked about a woman in an empty auditorium and someone sits right next to her. To the average person, this is quite weird unless there were more people in the auditorium, but a special needs person would not know this was strange in any way. To that analogy, either many of the kids I work with are special need or simply ignorant. To that same analogy from the video, I meet the parents of some of these kids and find it impossible that these parents have raised the some of the kids I teach! On the other hand, I understand where some of the kids get their strange ideas about how life should work. Yes, the videos made sense, but I am just as confused after watching the video.

Life, Love, and Lavoie

I really cannot say that the videos have influenced my thinking and actions as far as special education students are concerned. I will say that they have influenced me in my dealings with all students. Now I honestly try to treat every student like they are special ed. Maybe that is wrong... maybe it's not. If I use Lavoie's suggestions only with students labeled as "special education" then I am treating certain students differently and I'm not sure that I think that is fair. Obviously Lavoie would disagree with me as he has stated, "...'fairness' is not equal, identical treatment; rather, 'fairness' means that every student receives what he needs."

Despite the tremendous sense of despair and agony I feel at having to watch the Lavoie videos, due mostly to production value, I really have learned a lot from them. The poker chips analogy has actually proven very useful in my personal life. I could use a governmental bail out with my poker chips sometimes. But as the wise, and aged, Kenny Rogers once said, "You never count your money when youre sittin' at the table. There'll be time enough for countin when the dealin's done."


And with that... I bid you all good night.

Question of the week for 1/17th -1/25th

These videos made me realize and helped me understand why some students behave the way that they do. The video content was very enlightening. The example or illustration that was given using the poker chips really helped me grasp how much others' words and actions influence students' lives. The old saying, "sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me", is a lie. I think that as a teacher, it is our job and responsibility, to encourage these students. We need to find good in every student and tell them about the good we find. Why is it that the negative always seems to weigh more than the positive? I see how these negative things influence my students every day at school. Students embarrassed and trying to save face and others that have been made fun of so much that they are numb. It is sad. How can I bring that numb student back to having self value and a healthy self esteem (give him poker chips)? I believe that in some way everyone has a special need and not just special need students. I think that this is what it is all about.

Friendly Reminder-- Class this Saturday

Hello All,

Just wanted to post a reminder about our class session for EDBT 3710 scheduled for this Saturday, January 24th, on the Alpharetta campus. We'll meet from10am-3:30pm. Please check your GSU email for more details about what you need to bring to class on Saturday, etc. I look forward to seeing all of you there.

Jessie

Videos

The video really changed my view of special needs students. It has shed a little light on what makes special needs students function. I realize that my special needs students have individualized needs. I need to talk to them on a more individual basis. It is usually easier to expect them to understand everything that I say. I can be more patient with my students because I realize that there are reasons that some may be slower than others. I feel that it is common belief that special needs students are simply lazy. Another belief is that they do not want to try. The video and my teaching experience has proven that special needs students can not control their actions. A teacher's job is to consider each child's individual needs.   

Lavoie Videos

The Lavoie videos have opened my eyes to things I otherwise would not see. The Poker Chips video has had a great impact on my philosophy of teaching. The analogy of comparing self-esteem to poker chips was right on. Some points of the video could even apply to my personal life in regards to the amount of poker chips I sometimes feel I don't have. I have learned that my main and number one objective as a teacher is to make sure that my students leave with more poker chips than when they arrived. I see this as a liberating idea. Suddenly the "important" things move down the list. The lens through which I view my position as an educator changes, and I now see how my actions can directly give or take away self-esteem. Great video!

Lavoie Post

The 2 Lavoie videos that we have watched in NTI have made me more aware of students' needs in general, special needs or not. What really struck me was when he mentioned that the number one most important thing an adolescent wanted to avoid was embarrassment. This made me stop and think about when I was an adolescent and I can remember that feeling of 'Oh, please just don't let me stand out in a bad way or look wierd.' This has made me more sensitive to the social students' needs and I have tried to implement his advice in my classroom. What also has made a difference is my mother's advice. She was a Special Education teacher at the high school level for over 10 years and she told me to treat all the students like I wanted my own children to be treated. She reminded me that not all of these kids have such a great home life or foundation to begin with and she echoed Lavoie's statement that I have to watch everything I do in the classroom because any little slight could tear down a student's foundation.

Lavoie

I think I have a better respect for the issues that all adolescence deal with each day. Like many of you have mentioned, I can apply what I am learning in my classroom, but also with my own children. As for special needs, it's the recognition of their needs that is the hardest. Only when you become aware can you begin to make interventions for them. We all like to have a great day, but when Lavoie stated "what can I do for you to make your day go better", WOW! If I can maintain that mindset during each block that I teach, all of my students will benefit. I'm not saying make lessons easier, or modify for all students, but keep in mind each of the students unique needs as well as talents. I think this is where we, as career tech. teachers, have an advantage. At present we don't have to worry about EOCT, therefore we can have a bit more flexability in the time that we take on a particular lesson, or the way inwhich we teach it. We can also have our students up and about practicing and applying the knowledge that they learn. Lavoie made me realize that, in a small way, we are all special needs people. It's just about identifying what our special needs are, right???

Lavoie Videos

These two videos will probably impact my teaching more than any others I have or will watch throughout my teaching career. In the past I judged poor behavior as a direct hit upon me as the teacher and had difficulty with patience regarding these students. Parenting came so easily to me why not to other parents? My children did not act in these ways so why should it be allowed in the classroom? But, it makes sense to me now. When Richard Lavoie defined adolescense as "a 365 day/52 week-a year battle not to be embarassed" it really influenced how I have and will now look at my students. I have tremendous compassion for students but when Mr. Lavoie discussed the "hidden curriculum" I felt saddened for these students and what they must go through on a daily basis. I will from now on look to these special students through a different set of eyes, eyes that need to seek deeper at what may or may not be spoken.

Lavoie

The videos have impacted my life greatly in several aspects. It changed the way I teach, my parenting, and my social interaction with kids. I did not realize how many times I asked a retorical question. I was setting or baiting the kids. Did not realilze how unfair or how demeaning I was. The poker chips! Wow what a novel idea. I always thought I was building up the children in my. I never realized I was taking away from them. This was the biggest impact on me. On the average, there are 10 kids in and out of our home on a weekly basis. Just friends of my daughters or neighbors. I hope and pray that I can implement the technique I have learned to touch these lives in a positive way.

Videos

The videos brought a new prospective on what special needs students may have to go through day to day. The video hasn't really changed the way that I view the special needs students, I have a special need student in my class but he really doesn't seem to function in that way he has some moments but for the most part he displays that he is just one of the other students. He has asked that he be treated as the other students to the RVI teacher that would assist him. On thing that I can say is the time that we watched the last video that upcoming week I had a conference with the student's parents and I used the technique they gave in starting off with something positive about the student and not negative things

Lavoie

Lavoie helped me understand the issues that face us and our students. It is not enough to know about these problems. In understanding, we can better evaluate and resolve problems. He has a way of explaining these problems you might not understand through traditional sources. I love how he removed the classroom from the student! I would have never considered this! Twice this year I could have used this. His thoughts on adolescents would not have crossed my thoughts without his input. I realise there are some but would not have thought all. It is the teachers, teaching teachers that make such a difference.

Lavoie

THe two Lavoie videos have made quite an impact on me. Not only in how I view my special needs students, but also my typical peers and my own children. THe last video especially spoke to me. The explination of what is an adolescent was profound to me. It really made me stop and revisit situations from the past. This explination that adolescents spend 24 hours a day doing anything to keep from being embarrassed made incidents really make sense. As we have learned in NTI it is important to take the audience away from the misbehaving student. This student will do anything to take the embarassing attention away from them and put it onto the teacher. THey need to be in control. I also better understand the "no sarcasm" rule when dealing with teenagers. Sarcasm puts them in an embarrassing situation and they are likely to lash out. I truly enjoyed both videos.

Mamane on Lavoie

The Rick Lavoie videos have been an eye-opening experience. You could also say heart-opening as well. He is quite masterful in helping you see through the students' eyes. That is the key to being a successful teacher with learning disabled students... or ANY student for that matter. The repeating a request three times in a row -- WOW -- it really works! I have a student who has Asperger's and is ADHD. He definitely is not a social creature, and I'm always trying to help him integrate in class. First I try to put him in a group that is going to tolerate him (and most do), and I try to find his strengths so he can have a role in the group. I think Lavoie's techniques help you understand students' needs, which in turn helps you become more patient and compassionate. Learning to create a calming atmosphere alleviates many possible problems from arising.

Bernardo

This fall semester has been very challenging. After several months of planning and designing my lab it still is not completed. I have had to explain to my students on several occassions why my lab is not completed . It seems as if the Atlanta Public School system do not understand the urgency in completeing this lab. I am trying to keep my students interested but some of them are losing interest due to the lack of equipment. Most of my students signed up for my class thinking they would have the opportunity to have hands on experience with the latest broadcasting equipment. I hope the school system doesn't let them down.

Back after a nice break

I hope everyone is off to a good start to a new semester after the nice two week break most of us had (and needed). Can you all believe the school year is half way through or that we are almost finished with NTI? Everyone, take a deep breath, summer will be here before we know it!