Week 5

Bullet 1:
•"Students in schools, classrooms, and educational systems that teach less and teach it better score higher on standardized measures than students in schools that seek coverage of massive amounts of information with little emphasis on understanding. In other words, curriculum that is a mile wide but only an inch deep is ineffective in producing real learning."

This to me means that when you teach more for understanding than to just get that subject taught, more of your students will learn. I want to be the kind of teacher that focuses more on what the students are learning, than always trying to cover everything in the curriculum, because you can’t teach everything. It is just not possible.

Bullet 2:
•Important curriculum is necessarily focused on high-level thinking. There is no other way to ensure that students make meaning of, apply, and extend knowledge, understanding, and skill. In other words, there is no lesser route toward, expertise in a discipline.

The part I liked about this is how the curriculum is focused on high level thinking. To be a high level thinker can sometimes take time to achieve that level of thinking. It sets the bar high for students, showing faith in them. I want to be able to set the bar high for my students, with a way to be able to help them achieve that. I do know that every student will be at a different spot, but as long as they learn and feel good about themselves, then I know that I did something right.

Quote 1:
“Use children’s books in all grades and subjects to make complex ideas approachable and to reveal stories of the people from many cultures behind important ideas, events, and innovations.” Page 73

I like this quote, because it shares how you can use children’s books in the classroom all through school years. I want to use children’s books in my teaching to help my students to grow.

Quote 2:
“It is highly likely that students achieve much more when we present them with tasks that we genuinely believe to be beyond them, and then set out to ensure their success on those tasks.” Page 81

This to me says that when we as teachers raise the bar for our students, that they can achieve it only when we help them and show them how. I want to be able to help raise the bar for my students and to show them how to succeed in life.