Module 1

When I read the section on dramatic diversity in chapter one it made me think of my experience as a bilingual student. I grew up in a predominantly Latino neighborhood and Spanish was my first language. When I started school I was placed in bilingual classes and I thrived; I never felt out of place. When I was in 5^th grade all bilingual students were forced into regular English classes. I recall feeling scared and intimidated. My teacher was African American she did not speak nor comprehend Spanish; it was difficult for me to communicate with her and as a result my grades and self –esteem suffered. As I was reading chapter one it was interesting to learn that today 22% of children under the age of 18 are Latino and that by 2050 Latinos will compromise about one quarter of the U.S population (pg. 4).  The number of Latino students is rising which makes me think of the amount of bilingual students who will need help with their studies, will they receive the proper education in American classrooms? I highly doubt it, not unless we prepare future teachers to teach in diverse classrooms. Chapter one made me reflect on the type of teacher I want to be. I want to be able to represent the Latino community. I plan to earn an ESL endorsement. I also want to strengthen my Spanish vocabulary so that I can better communicate with both students and parents. This chapter also helped me identify the attributes of a good teacher. According to Woolfolk, a good teacher is a great coach. Teachers must be able to use a range of strategies, possess management skills, and adapt to the students needs (pg9). I learned that becoming an exceptional teacher takes time and experience.

       In chapter two I was re-introduced to the theories of Piaget, Vigostki, and Erikson: individuals who explored the psychology and development of the human mind. Their research and theories became the foundation and building blocks on child development. Piaget believed that children learned through play and experimentation (pg. 43). Based on the learning theory of Piaget a classroom should be mostly kinesthetic. Children should be give assignments that are hands on. Vygotsky’s believed that human activities must be understood in their cultural settings. He also emphasized that language was critical for cognitive development. The zone of proximal development became one of his most well distinguished concepts. I work with pre-k students and Vygotsky’s theory is more appropriate in this classroom setting. Scaffolding is a tactic I use everyday, I truly believe it helps students learn the task at hand. In the future I plan to teach 5^th grade so the type of environment I want to create would be based on Piaget’s learning theory.

            Chapter three on the self, social, and moral development was my favorite reading. It was fascinating to learn about the overall development of a child; as I was reading the material I was thinking of my son and the type of parent I aspire to be. Children go through many changes physically and emotionally, which can be overwhelming for students, teachers, and parents; gaining insight on such a complex subject gave me a sense of understanding and confidence. This weeks reading was very rewarding. I was able to reflect and think about the type of teacher I ultimately would like to become.