We have discussed health and its connection to education all semester. For your final blog comment you will create an ACROSTIC Poem using the words HEALTH & EDUCATION.
An acrostic poem is, a short verse composition, constructed so that one or more sets of letters (such as the initial, middle, or final letters of the lines), taken consecutively, form words. Below is an example using the word acrostic:
ACROSTIC
An acrostic poem
Can be about anything
Really
Of course, some people like to
Start each line as a sentence, though
I prefer weaving words into a
Creation that is more free form.
Here is another example using my first name:
JANIS
Janis is
A
Natural woman, and is
Interested
Sincerely, in your acrostic poem about health & education.
The words must connect to health & education, course content, and make sense in order for you to earn points for this blog comment.
Reflection will not be assessed for this comment. I will assess CONTENT (4 points), CRITICAL THINKING (4 points) and PRESENTATION (2 points).
Your turn, and have fun with it!
HEALTH & EDUCATION
H
E
A
L
T
H
& (ignore this &)
E
D
U
C
T
I
O
N
Tuesday, April 17, 2012
Tuesday, April 10, 2012
HLTH 312 Blog Post # 9 – Observation of Mr. Hawkins - Who is he and why?
Use your observation skills to tell me about Mr. Hawkins. We were introduced to Mr. Hawkins in Chapter 1. Read about Mr. Hawkins in Jensen's book Teaching with Poverty in Mind on pages 5, 13, 46, 66, and 106.
Describe him. What do you think he is like?
What kind of a teacher is he?
Is he healthy in all the domains of health (physical, social, emotional, spiritual, intellectual, and environmental)?
Do you think he eats, sleeps, and exercises well?
Is he a good role model? Observe only from the pages listed above, and tell me a story about Chris Hawkins, the teacher.
Describe him. What do you think he is like?
What kind of a teacher is he?
Is he healthy in all the domains of health (physical, social, emotional, spiritual, intellectual, and environmental)?
Do you think he eats, sleeps, and exercises well?
Is he a good role model? Observe only from the pages listed above, and tell me a story about Chris Hawkins, the teacher.
Wednesday, April 4, 2012
HLTH 312 Blog Post # 8 – “instructional light and magic”
For this comment I want you to read Chapter 6 in Dr. Jensen’s book, and then think about your future teaching practice. Effective teaching demands an inordinate amount of time for preparation, but it is worth it. This chapter synthesizes the core ideas of the book, and this will assist you in thinking about how you can apply the practices you have learned about in this book in your future classroom.
“The phrase ‘instructional light and magic’ refers to your ability to shine a spotlight on what matters most.”
Read the chapter and then choose three practices that you will consider using in your classroom. Focus on the factors that matter the most to you, and emphasize the strategies that will reshape the brains and enrich the lives of your students.
For example, health is really important to me, so one of the strategies I chose was “Framing the Content” on page 148. “This powerful strategy creates an intentional bias toward what follows so that the students are more likely to buy into the content.”
The framing is the setting of the stage for the lesson, it’s the “hook”, information that appeals to the student so that they want to learn more. Jensen writes that it “creates an emotional invitation to learn”. I like that. He gave an example of a story by reading a passage that engages the students and gets them thinking about the lesson. He told about an African American man who was drafted during the Vietnam War. So, this man was out there in a war, fighting for his country, but he could not vote in his country or in his home town because of illegal voter registration quirks.
The reading of the passage caused a conversation to ensue about prejudice, both at the national level and at school. Prejudice is an excellent topic to discuss with your students if it is developmentally appropriate. It relates well to health.
I like the idea of framing the content, and I love telling stories that I can relate to content. I also know that stories and bits of anecdotal data can break up a lesson and reduce the boredom of dry lecture material.
Okay, now it is your turn. What three practices would you choose from chapter 6, and tell me why, and provide an example.
“The phrase ‘instructional light and magic’ refers to your ability to shine a spotlight on what matters most.”
Read the chapter and then choose three practices that you will consider using in your classroom. Focus on the factors that matter the most to you, and emphasize the strategies that will reshape the brains and enrich the lives of your students.
For example, health is really important to me, so one of the strategies I chose was “Framing the Content” on page 148. “This powerful strategy creates an intentional bias toward what follows so that the students are more likely to buy into the content.”
The framing is the setting of the stage for the lesson, it’s the “hook”, information that appeals to the student so that they want to learn more. Jensen writes that it “creates an emotional invitation to learn”. I like that. He gave an example of a story by reading a passage that engages the students and gets them thinking about the lesson. He told about an African American man who was drafted during the Vietnam War. So, this man was out there in a war, fighting for his country, but he could not vote in his country or in his home town because of illegal voter registration quirks.
The reading of the passage caused a conversation to ensue about prejudice, both at the national level and at school. Prejudice is an excellent topic to discuss with your students if it is developmentally appropriate. It relates well to health.
I like the idea of framing the content, and I love telling stories that I can relate to content. I also know that stories and bits of anecdotal data can break up a lesson and reduce the boredom of dry lecture material.
Okay, now it is your turn. What three practices would you choose from chapter 6, and tell me why, and provide an example.
Tuesday, March 27, 2012
HLTH 312 Blog Post # 7 – “It’s not how much you do; it’s what you do, and for how long.”
“Do you have what it takes to succeed when working with children of poverty?”
This is TCOP Standard 1: Life in poverty.
STANDARD 1: Life in Poverty: Teacher candidates exemplify their understanding of students’ behavior and learning differences that may occur as a result of a life in poverty. Teacher candidates apply acquired knowledge, skills and dispositions grounded in current research to create learning environments that value, engage and support children of poverty as capable learners.
Following is one of the elements that we work on in our class.
SC-FMU-TCOD-P-2009.1.1
ELEMENT: The candidate will apply current research to interpret the effects of a life in poverty as it impacts learning.
I just wanted to point out to you how important research is to our studies of children in poverty and health. Have you noticed how much empirical research Jensen provides in his writing? And that at the beginning of most chapters he cites a list of supporting research for us to use to continue our work and to validate his.This is very important. Teachers must use research to keep current in their field. It is critical toward becoming and remaining a quality teacher.
In chapter 5 he states, “the more you examine the research, the greater the perspectives offered.”
Let’s pretend that you are already teachers. You are teaching in a school that performs well on standardized tests, has a skilled staff, and 80% of the students are children of poverty. What can you do to improve your classroom for children of poverty? Dr. Jensen considered the research, and what he knew about the effects of poverty and he came up with a plan to use the instructional strategies that he believed would matter most. I want you to do that.
He shares the classroom level SHARE factors with us (Chapter 4; pages 66-69):
• Standards-based curriculum and instruction
• Hope building
• Arts, athletics, and advanced placement
• Retooling of the operating system
• Engaging instruction
For this comment imagine and describe your future classroom and the strategies that you believe will matter most to help all of your students succeed. Include the SHARE factors, make connections to health, and tell me what grade you are teaching. Remember everything must be developmentally appropriate for early childhood students.
I look forward to reading about your classrooms.
This is TCOP Standard 1: Life in poverty.
STANDARD 1: Life in Poverty: Teacher candidates exemplify their understanding of students’ behavior and learning differences that may occur as a result of a life in poverty. Teacher candidates apply acquired knowledge, skills and dispositions grounded in current research to create learning environments that value, engage and support children of poverty as capable learners.
Following is one of the elements that we work on in our class.
SC-FMU-TCOD-P-2009.1.1
ELEMENT: The candidate will apply current research to interpret the effects of a life in poverty as it impacts learning.
I just wanted to point out to you how important research is to our studies of children in poverty and health. Have you noticed how much empirical research Jensen provides in his writing? And that at the beginning of most chapters he cites a list of supporting research for us to use to continue our work and to validate his.This is very important. Teachers must use research to keep current in their field. It is critical toward becoming and remaining a quality teacher.
In chapter 5 he states, “the more you examine the research, the greater the perspectives offered.”
Let’s pretend that you are already teachers. You are teaching in a school that performs well on standardized tests, has a skilled staff, and 80% of the students are children of poverty. What can you do to improve your classroom for children of poverty? Dr. Jensen considered the research, and what he knew about the effects of poverty and he came up with a plan to use the instructional strategies that he believed would matter most. I want you to do that.
He shares the classroom level SHARE factors with us (Chapter 4; pages 66-69):
• Standards-based curriculum and instruction
• Hope building
• Arts, athletics, and advanced placement
• Retooling of the operating system
• Engaging instruction
For this comment imagine and describe your future classroom and the strategies that you believe will matter most to help all of your students succeed. Include the SHARE factors, make connections to health, and tell me what grade you are teaching. Remember everything must be developmentally appropriate for early childhood students.
I look forward to reading about your classrooms.
Tuesday, March 20, 2012
HLTH 312 Blog Post # 6 – Can the brain change, in a good way, and how can we help?
Eric Jensen writes, in chapter 3 of his book, that brains can and do change. Brains are designed to change. Some changes are positive, such as those delivered through quality nutrition, exercise, and learning; other changes are negative, such as those resulting from long term neglect, chronic drug abuse, and boredom!
Dr. Jensen informs us that during each school day, your students’ brains will change. When their brains change, so does their level of attention, learning, and cognition. Whether they are changing for better or for worse depends a lot on the quality of the experiences they receive at school.
In chapter 3, Dr. Jensen describes many factors that impact how the brain can change. For example, experience-based brain changes, gene expression, IQ and environmental changes, and fluid intelligence.
Think about your future as a teacher. Read the chapter, and then reflect and write about the following: in your own words explain at least 3 strategies teachers can use to help students change their brains for the better. Incorporate some of the factors listed above, and make certain you make connections to health!
Dr. Jensen informs us that during each school day, your students’ brains will change. When their brains change, so does their level of attention, learning, and cognition. Whether they are changing for better or for worse depends a lot on the quality of the experiences they receive at school.
In chapter 3, Dr. Jensen describes many factors that impact how the brain can change. For example, experience-based brain changes, gene expression, IQ and environmental changes, and fluid intelligence.
Think about your future as a teacher. Read the chapter, and then reflect and write about the following: in your own words explain at least 3 strategies teachers can use to help students change their brains for the better. Incorporate some of the factors listed above, and make certain you make connections to health!
Wednesday, February 29, 2012
Tuesday, February 28, 2012
HLTH 312 Blog Post # 5 - First Aid
We are taking a break from the Jensen book to study First Aid.
It is important to keep first aid kits where they might be needed. You will want to have a first aid kit in your classroom. I provided a first aid handout for you to read. Tell me why you would want to keep a first aid kit in your classroom? (explain and reflect)
Did you learn anything new from reading the first aid handout? (explain and reflect)
Explain and reflect about three topics that you learned about in the handout that you feel will assist you in being a quality teacher.
P.S. You may have a quiz about the first aid handout so keep it in your portfolio.
It is important to keep first aid kits where they might be needed. You will want to have a first aid kit in your classroom. I provided a first aid handout for you to read. Tell me why you would want to keep a first aid kit in your classroom? (explain and reflect)
Did you learn anything new from reading the first aid handout? (explain and reflect)
Explain and reflect about three topics that you learned about in the handout that you feel will assist you in being a quality teacher.
P.S. You may have a quiz about the first aid handout so keep it in your portfolio.
Tuesday, February 21, 2012
Blog Break Week
There will be no blog this week. Your next blog will be posted on February 28 and will be due on March 5, 2012. Enjoy your blog break!
Tuesday, February 14, 2012
HLTH 312 Blog Post # 4: Stress and Stressors
Dr. Jensen wrote, “the biology of stress is simple in some ways and complex in others. On a basic level, every one of the 30 – 50 trillion cells in the human body is experiencing either healthy or unhealthy growth. Cells cannot grow and deteriorate at the same time.
Ideally, the body is in homeostatic balance: a state in which the vital measures of human function – heart rate, blood pressure, blood sugar, and so on – are in their optimal ranges. A stressor is anything that threatens to disrupt homeostasis – for example, criticism, neglect, social exclusion, lack of enrichment, malnutrition, drug use, exposure to toxins, abuse, or trauma.
When cells are not growing, they are in a “hunker down” mode that conserves resources for a threatened future. When billions or trillions of cells are under siege in this manner, there will be problems” (Jensen, p, 23).
For this comment, discuss at least three chronic or acute stressors, and specifically how the brain is affected by the stressors.
Then discuss at least 3 effects of stress/stressors on behavior and performance at school for children who are burdened by unpleasant stressors too much of the time.
Summarize what you learned from reading the book and remember to critically think, reflect and write about what you think about it.
Ideally, the body is in homeostatic balance: a state in which the vital measures of human function – heart rate, blood pressure, blood sugar, and so on – are in their optimal ranges. A stressor is anything that threatens to disrupt homeostasis – for example, criticism, neglect, social exclusion, lack of enrichment, malnutrition, drug use, exposure to toxins, abuse, or trauma.
When cells are not growing, they are in a “hunker down” mode that conserves resources for a threatened future. When billions or trillions of cells are under siege in this manner, there will be problems” (Jensen, p, 23).
For this comment, discuss at least three chronic or acute stressors, and specifically how the brain is affected by the stressors.
Then discuss at least 3 effects of stress/stressors on behavior and performance at school for children who are burdened by unpleasant stressors too much of the time.
Summarize what you learned from reading the book and remember to critically think, reflect and write about what you think about it.
Tuesday, February 7, 2012
312 HLTH Blog # 3 - The Emotional Keyboard
Dr. Jensen has written about “the emotional keyboard” and I find this to be very interesting. This is described in his book in chapter 2. We learn from reading it that the emotional brain (this would align with mental and emotional health on your umbrella and in the Health Resource Manual) can be illustrated as a piano keyboard which has 88 keys.
Jensen wrote that children of poverty usually use fewer keys than well-off children. Figure 2.1 on page 18, informs us that six emotions are hardwired and that means that we are born knowing how to express them and these six hardwired emotions are: sadness, joy, disgust, anger, surprise, and fear. The other two boxes contain emotions that we are not born with, and we do not know how to express these emotions unless we are taught to express them. Those 10 emotions are: humility, forgiveness, empathy, optimism, compassion, sympathy, patience, shame, cooperation, and gratitude.
Read the information in chapter 2 about the “emotional keyboard.” For this blog comment you will write 2 scenarios about 2 different children. One child is middle class and one is a child of poverty. Name and describe the children and their emotional keyboard. Explicate their behaviors and why they behave emotionally the way that they do. Differentiate clearly between the two, and be realistic. Also, think about the developmental needs of children. Remember what early childhood children need (what needs must be met developmentally) in order for them to develop healthy minds and bodies (think Maslow’s Hierarchy).
Jensen wrote that children of poverty usually use fewer keys than well-off children. Figure 2.1 on page 18, informs us that six emotions are hardwired and that means that we are born knowing how to express them and these six hardwired emotions are: sadness, joy, disgust, anger, surprise, and fear. The other two boxes contain emotions that we are not born with, and we do not know how to express these emotions unless we are taught to express them. Those 10 emotions are: humility, forgiveness, empathy, optimism, compassion, sympathy, patience, shame, cooperation, and gratitude.
Read the information in chapter 2 about the “emotional keyboard.” For this blog comment you will write 2 scenarios about 2 different children. One child is middle class and one is a child of poverty. Name and describe the children and their emotional keyboard. Explicate their behaviors and why they behave emotionally the way that they do. Differentiate clearly between the two, and be realistic. Also, think about the developmental needs of children. Remember what early childhood children need (what needs must be met developmentally) in order for them to develop healthy minds and bodies (think Maslow’s Hierarchy).
Tuesday, January 31, 2012
HLTH 312 Blog Post # 2 - alienation to empathy
Answer the following questions from Chapter 1 in Dr. Jensen’s book
Dr. Jensen informed us that the number of children of poverty, children in low-income situations, is predicted to increase in the near future. Explain at least 2 ways this fact will impact your future classroom and teaching practice.
Name the factor that Dr. Jensen claims is most closely correlated with dropout rates?
Dr. Jensen stated that, “low achieving high school students report a sense of alienation from their schools”. Define alienation and explain one reason why children might report a sense of alienation from their schools.
Describe 2 strategies will you use to prevent your students from reporting a sense of alienation from their schools by the time they are in high school?
Define empathy.
Explain 3 behaviors that you could model that promote empathy.
Articulate what matters about the timing and duration of poverty for children.
Dr. Jensen informed us that the number of children of poverty, children in low-income situations, is predicted to increase in the near future. Explain at least 2 ways this fact will impact your future classroom and teaching practice.
Name the factor that Dr. Jensen claims is most closely correlated with dropout rates?
Dr. Jensen stated that, “low achieving high school students report a sense of alienation from their schools”. Define alienation and explain one reason why children might report a sense of alienation from their schools.
Describe 2 strategies will you use to prevent your students from reporting a sense of alienation from their schools by the time they are in high school?
Define empathy.
Explain 3 behaviors that you could model that promote empathy.
Articulate what matters about the timing and duration of poverty for children.
Tuesday, January 24, 2012
HLTH 312 Blog Post # 1 - Teaching With Poverty in Mind
Read the Introduction and Chapter 1 in Dr. Jensen’s book Teaching with poverty in mind: What being poor does to kids brains and what schools can do about it.
Reflect on and answer the following questions:
1) What is the focus of the book, according to Dr. Jensen?
2) What three claims does he make?
3) Define poverty, in your own words.
4) Dr. Jensen writes, and I quote, “Poverty involves a complex array of risk factors that adversely affect the population in a multitude of ways.” [end quote, page 7]
Explain and reflect on how inferior resources both at home and at school place children of poverty at risk for low academic success and high risk of becoming a school drop-out.
Reflect on and answer the following questions:
1) What is the focus of the book, according to Dr. Jensen?
2) What three claims does he make?
3) Define poverty, in your own words.
4) Dr. Jensen writes, and I quote, “Poverty involves a complex array of risk factors that adversely affect the population in a multitude of ways.” [end quote, page 7]
Explain and reflect on how inferior resources both at home and at school place children of poverty at risk for low academic success and high risk of becoming a school drop-out.
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)
