Brain Development

Last night's lecture at Decorah Middle School, presented by Karen Williams, was very insightful. I did not realize that a concussion and getting drunk have the same effects on a teenage brain!! I know they are both harmful to development, but the consequences of both actions are devastating. I also learned about the second wave of brain development- during adolescence. I realize now why it is so important to protect your brain and why the drinking age is set to 21- our brains are not ready to handle it yet. In fact, even at 21 our brains are not done growing! Overall, Ms. Williams did a wonderful job of explaining brain developement, spurts and all. I felt like her hands-on activity of clapping our hands at different speeds to facilitate brain growth was very benefical, as it helped me better understand what she was talking about.

The information we learned last night is not only crucial for our own health (since we are still developing) but it also plays a crucial role in our future as educators. We need to educate the general public about the important stages of brain development and the seriousness of interrupting that. I think the videos displayed on UCLA's website, which displays their brain research, are extremely powerful. These videos let people see into every nook and cranny of the brain, allowing us to discover how many parts of the brain are still developing into our 20s. As teachers, we need to encourage students to think freely and creatively, helping them soak up as much information as they possibly can during the six year time gap they have to "learn new basics" (12-18 years old). However, we also need to educate students about brain damage, and not just neccessarily drugs/alcohol, because sports and stress can cause it as well. I believe that if students were provided with the information in the lecture last night, students would be willing to take more preventive measures with their brain. We do not want students to get behind, and interrupting neuron functioning is how students get behind. Education is key- for everyone involved- from parents, to teachers, to legislators, to the students themselves.

Raising the Bar

"Two-thirds of U. S. children attend schools in states with mediocre standards or worse."
~The Thomas B. Fordham Institute.

I think one of the major problems in schools today is setting standards. The content being taught must be taught at a level that is challenging, interesting, and helps student's gain important life-long skills. In this fast paced world, the U. S. is falling behind because every state's varies on their educational standards and benchmarks are different. Despite NCLB, which tried to increase standards of achievement, a recent article from Times magazine ("How to Raise the Standard in America's Schools" by Walter Isaacson) explains that schools are actually lowering their bar for success. In this way, schools to appear above average on NCLB tests while in reality, way below average performance. Instead ,schools need to raise the bar and have high and clear expectations for their students. Not only will this produce better studenst, but it will also motivate them to learn while preparing them for a competitive economy.

If schools expected more from each and every one of thier students, I am sure achievement and learning will increase. I was an honors student in my high school and took 2 or 3 AP classes each year. These classes were difficult, however, because they challenged my learning I was motivated to work harder to be successful in these classes. My regular classes bored me most of the time since the class moved at a much slower pace. Thus, when I did homework for the class (if I had any at all), I whipped through it quickly just to check it off my list. I was more interested in doing the homework I really had to work at. The difference in standards between AP and regular classes at my high school were astounding!! The honors students were more than adequately prepared for college and the competitive world. I would argue the regular kids were not as much. This is unfortunate. I believe that schools need to change this standard. All students need to be challenged, whether they are a "middle of the road" kid or an honors student. I sincerely believe that if teachers push their students and expect high quality work, that students would be more motivated to perform at that level. Regardless of whether a student is doing the work for a grade (extrinsic motivation) or out of interest (instrinsic motivation), a higher standard would teach the student more because they would have to work harder to achieve the grade they aspire too. In the long run, this would also play out well for our country: allowing us to keep up with the ever-changing world. As Barack Obama said to Congress recently, "This is a prescription for economic decline, because we know the countries that outteach us today will outcompete us for tomorrow."

Thus, raising the bar has short-term and long-term benefits. As teachers, our goal is to give students a depth of knowledge and help them understand thier place in this world. Teaching with low expectations does nothing; in fact, this strategy is more harmful than good. We need to teach students that challenging goals and tasks are the most worthwhile and fulfilling ones to pursue. This has to start in the classroom, and it has to start now. So go on, take a risk, and raise the bar!

Importance of Establishing Competent Readers

In class today, we discussed our interests in reading, how to best teach reading, and the implications involved in teaching reading. I think the number one factor in determining a student's overall school and life success is rooted in their enthusiasm for reading. This idea is supported by the articles we looked at in class about Finnish students. They start school at an older age, have less homework, looser discipline, and no honors classes, yet they outscore EVERY nation in the world! Why is that? I believe, like many scholars have suggested, that their success is largely due to their love of reading. Aside from having to read subtitles while watching TV, the culture nurtures a love of reading. In fact, the government endorses this by sending children a picture book when they are born. Reading is definitely something we can do better in the U.S. A majority students in our country start to find reading boring and a chore once they hit middle school and, in reality, if students have not mastered reading by late elementary school, they are very unlikely to pick up the habit later in life. I believe schools need to foster reading for fun (at all levels). Book reports are fine but they should not be the only assessment for reading. Teachers should allow their students to read books of their own choosing and, instead of a final or report, teachers could set up discussions with the students that would demonstrate their reading comprehension.


As I stated above, I believe reading enthusiasm and skill is the number one factor in predicting student success. The longer a student pursues their education, the more they are going to have to read. Students need to enjoy reading to a certain extent in order to stay fully motivated in school. Homework will come much easier for students who enjoy reading. Aside from the benefits in school, students who leisurely read outside of the classroom also learn more than the school could ever teach them. For example, students learn a variety of ways to express themselves by reading multiple genres of texts. Also, in school, vocabulary lessons can only go so far, especially since some students will feel challenged by it and some will not (the structure of these is a whole other matter however). Therefore, students can learn and understand vocabulary better when they see it used in context in a story. Also, avid reading fosters creativity and imagination. I would also argue that leisure reading can also increase a student's intrinsic motivation, as the satisfaction felt for finishing a book is a form of delayed gratification. That, and their reward is not something external, it is another book for students to enjoy.

Thus, my point is that America's schools need to focus on creating competent readers. While it is most crucial to build these skills in elementary schools, the upper level schools need to work on these skills as well--no matter what subject area. Teachers need to pinpoint students who are struggling with reading and work with them to reach competence. With all the technological stimulation out in the world today, the book is being thrown aside as "boring." However, being one who did not have a TV for awhile, and thus read for entertainment, I find TV "boring." I believe that if schools work harder at establishing reading competence and promoting a love for reading, students will be much better off. The side effects of too much TV would be less of an issue and actually, students can probably come up with more creative ideas for solving all the world's problems by being well-read. Boys are especially suspectible to falling behind in reading. This can be solved by paying them special attention and providing reading resources that boys would find more interesting. These changes need to start occuring now within the schools. Hopefully, in the near future, the government will recognize the importance of reading as well and stop placing all the emphasis on math and science. Even mathematicans and scientists have to read! Perhaps if schools start making headway on reading skills, the U.S. will become more like Finland's government, providing support and fund for building reading enthusiasm.

Passivity in the classroom breeds passivity in the world

Creativity is a very important skill for people to have. Like Sir Ken Robinson states in his article, I believe that every person is born with the ability to be creative in some way. Some people are dancers, while others are writers or singers. Even scientific and mathematical people can be creative. After all, they come up with different and creative ways to manipulate variables and solve problems. Sir Robinson argues schools need to foster this creativity more than they do. In my high school English classes, my ninth and tenth grade teachers drove us to write five-paragraph essays. While this skill was essential to our understanding of forming and articulating an argument, the five-paragraph essay became a formulaic writing format to fall back on when we needed to write and quick and easy paper. Unfortunately, my teachers stressed this format so much that my fellow classmates and I had difficulties in the upper level classes when the teacher encouraged us to stray away from the boring structure of these earlier essays. This is only one example of how a school can discourage creativity. Whenever a student speaks up and shares their opinions, their sense of creativity is at stake. Many teachers have brushed aside or rolled their eyes at a very unique idea because it does not to seem contextually fit (or is at first seen the wrong answer). This kind of reaction discourages students from speaking up in the future.

Instead, I believe we as teachers should provide ample opportunities for students to explore their strengths and weaknesses. I have never considered myself a very creative person, especially since I solve problems in linear and literal ways. It has only been recently that I have discovered that it is in my writing that I can be creative. It took a creative writing class and some free time on my own venting in a journal to be able to break away from some of the linear modes imposed on my in my high school. While I am thankful I have been able to find my creative side, I wish I had discovered it earlier in my academic career. Harnessing students' creativity should clearly start in elementary schools, which it often does. However, this creative process needs to continue throughout a students career- through middle, high school, and beyond. Like Sir Robinson, at some point students lose the passion for thinking outside of the box if they do not have opportunities to develop those ideas. I think implementing a variety of activities and encouraging everyone's ideas is one way to help achieve this growth and passion. Sir Robinson also planted some nice advice- to take a risk and let students be physically active in class. Provide some activities where students can collaborate or race around the room to help them find their strengths in every era. If we continue teaching in a passive sort of fashion, where students simply sit and listen to lectures, write papers, and take tests, than we are just breeding a bunch of, to quote Sir Robinson, "university professors." Without encouraging students to think outside of the bunch, we will create generations of people who are passive and cannot think about anything beneficial and unique. And the world's problems, well, those will only get worse. We need creative people to tackle this issues. As educators, that is what we must help do.