Submerged in the Discovery of Dispositions

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Submerged in the Discovery of Dispositions

• 2003 Educator Dispositions Symposium
• November 21, 2003
• Kristine Porter Howard Fan
• Michaela DAquanni
• Kennesaw State University
• Kennesaw, Georgia
• mdaquann_at_kennesaw.edu

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Time for Reflection

• Teaching holds a mirror to the soul. If I am
  willing to look in that mirror and not run from
  what I see, I have a chance to gain
  self-knowledge and knowing myself is as crucial
  to good teaching as knowing my students and my
  subject. We teach who we are.
• Parker Palmer
• (Courage To Teach)

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Submerged in the Discovery of Dispositions

• GOAL
• Provide candidates with the opportunity to
  participate in a variety of experiences through
  which they can continue to examine and develop
  their values, attitudes, and beliefs.

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Using Literature to Inspire

• Sad Comfort
• Michael Bailey

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REFLECTION REALIZATION

• Everything that happens to you is the teacher
• the secret is to sit at the feet of your own life
  and be taught by it.
• Polly Berends

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Disposition Activity

• Think of a significant event that involved you in
  a teaching or helping role with one or more
  persons. The event you describe should be one
  that has personal meaning for you (something that
  interested you, something that made you wonder,
  something that made you feel good, something that
  just didnt work out as you had hoped, etc.) It
  would be helpful if you described your feelings
  about the situation. Include as much detail as
  possible.

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Dispostions Perceptions

• Perception of Self
• Identified or Unidentified
• Perception of Others
• Able or Unable
• Perception of Purpose
• Larger or Smaller
• Frame of Reference
• People or Things

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• Changing
• My
• Perception

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Perceptions of Self (Identified vs. Unidentified)

• I gave myself a 3 to begin with. At the
  beginning of my story, I did not believe in the
  abilities of some Mexican students. I believe
  this was mainly because they were unfamiliar to
  me. At the end of my story, I understood them
  and their culture better. I moved my rating to a
  5 because I really do believe I can connect to
  anyone. The problem is I am still uncomfortable
  around some people because of their culture or
  ability. This too will change as I get to know
  them.

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Perception of Others (Able vs. Unable)

• I gave myself a rating of 4 in the perceptions of
  others. Its not that I dont believe others
  have the capacity to deal with their problems. I
  usually just intervene before they have a chance.
  I have a need to make everything right.

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Perception of Purpose (Larger vs. Smaller)

• I gave myself a 5. I want my Mexican friends to
  do well in ESOL so they can go on to bigger and
  better things. I think the materials I teach
  should be important for events that will happen
  later in life - such as learning English and
  becoming a doctor.

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Frame of Reference (People vs. Things)

• My husband says sometimes I care too much for
  people. Thats why I gave myself a 6. Its
  true. I care about peoples feelings. I feel
  bad when I think I may have hurt someones
  feelings. The first thing I do is try to make it
  right. Order and management are important, but
  peoples feelings should come first.

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Active Participation is Critical

• Role of Teacher Candidate as Passive Observer in
  the learning process must become a thing of the
  past
• Self-Examination
• Self-Reflection
• Self-Discovery/Awareness
• Self-Improvement

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University Level College of Education

• NCATE (National Council For
• Accreditation of Teacher Education)
• Knowledge, Skills Dispositions

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• PSC (Professional Standards Commission)
• The values, commitments, and professional ethics
  that influence behaviors toward students,
  families, colleagues, and communities and affect
  student learning, motivation, and development, as
  well as the educator's own professional growth.
  Dispositions are guided by beliefs and attitudes
  related to values such as caring, fairness,
  honesty, responsibility, and social justice. For
  example, they might include a belief that all
  students can learn, a vision of high and
  challenging standards, or a commitment to a safe
  and supportive learning environment.

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Addressing Diversity is Key

• The way we see ourselves, others, and the world
  in which we live...
• 
  (Eastern Kentucky)

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Knowledge Bases for Diversity in Teacher
Education cont.

• G. P. Smith. (1998). Common Sense about
  Uncommon Knowledge The knowledge Bases for
  Diversity. AACTE (American
• 
  Association of Colleges for Teacher Education)

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CURRICULUM DESIGN MATRIX
ATTITUDE/PERCEPTION
C O G N I T I V E
A F F E C T I V E

•  

UNDERSTANDING SELF
THEORY TO PRACTICE COMPETENCY DEVELOPMENT
KNOWLEDGE BASE THEORIES PRINCIPLES SKILLS
UNDERSTANDING OTHERS
OBJECTIVE FIELD BASED EXPERIENCE
BEHAVIOR
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Submerged in the Discovery of Dispositions

• Issues of Diversity need to be infused and no
  longer seen as a separate category.
• Two components to Consider
• Diversity of the Curriculum
•   Diversity in the Curriculum

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Diversity of the Curriculum

• A variety of materials and instructional
  strategies will be employed to meet the needs of
  the different learning styles of diverse learners
  in class.  Candidates will gain knowledge as well
  as an understanding of differentiated strategies
  and curricula for providing effective instruction
  and assessment within multicultural classrooms. 

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Diversity in the Curriculum

• One element of course work is raising candidate
  awareness of critical multicultural issues.  A
  second element is to cause candidates to explore
  how multiple attributes of multicultural
  populations influence decisions in employing
  specific methods and materials for every
  student.  Among these attributes are age,
  exceptionalities, ethnicity, family structure,
  gender, geographic area, giftedness, language,
  race, religion, sexual orientation, and
  socioeconomic status. 

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CPI (Candidate Performance Instrument)Subject
Matter Experts

• Candidate possesses knowledge of discipline
  content, methods of inquiry, connections to other
  disciplines and applications to common life
  experiences.
• Candidate knows and represents content accurately
  in multiple explanations, technology integration,
  and applications to common life experiences.
• Candidate uses content and pedagogical knowledge
  to assist students in the mastery of subject
  matter knowledge.

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CPI (Candidate Performance Instrument)Facilitator
s of Learning

• Candidate demonstrates knowledge of how learners
  develop, learn and think about subject content,
  as well as successful strategies to motivate
  students to learn.
• Candidate uses knowledge of the influences of
  society, culture, community, and family on
  schools and learning to create and implement
  instruction that embodies multiple cultures and a
  rich, diverse curriculum.
• Candidate creates effective, well-managed and
  active learning environments that reflect high
  expectations for student achievement.

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CPI (Candidate Performance Instrument)Facilitator
s of Learning

• Candidate designs and implements instruction that
  makes effective use of a variety of methods,
  materials, and technologies to positively impact
  learning of all students.
• Candidate utilizes a variety of assessment to
  evaluate students learning and uses the results
  to improve the quality of instruction that is
  differentiated to accommodate students
  diversities.

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CPI (Candidate Performance Instrument)Collaborati
ve Professionals

• Candidate reflects upon and improves professional
  performance based on professional standards,
  feedback, best practices and effective
  communication.
• Candidate builds collaborative and respectful
  relationships with colleagues, supervisors,
  students, parents and community members.
• Candidate displays professional and ethical
  behavior consistent with recognized educational
  standards and codes of ethics.

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Required Activities Education of Exceptional
Students

• Goal Active Participation in Discovery of Self
• Opening Day Introductions
• Community Building Guidelines
• Personal Reflection Journaling Discussions
• Significant Event
• Field Experience
• Book Review
• Focused Research
• National Boards Writing Process (description,
  analysis, reflection)
• Exhibition of Learning

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Building Community Building Class Guidelines
for Participation

•  1.     Respect others viewpoints
•    Listen fully to the person speaking
•    No interrupting
•    Opportunity for everyone to participate
•    Acknowledgement (verbal or body language)
•  2.     Limit side conversations
•  3.     Be prepared to do/give your best and to
  follow through
•  4.     Treat others as you would want to be
  treated
•  5.     Be open, ask questions, share ideas
•  6.     Professional Courtesy and Behavior are
  expected in both your actions and
  conversations at all times.

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Touchstones
(Parker Palmer)

•         Come to the work with 100 of the self
  set aside
• usual distractions.
•         Let the beauty we love be what we do
  bring with
• you what you value and enjoy.
•         Presume welcome and extend welcome.
•         Nose into inquiry when its hard turn
  to wonder
• ask questions.
•         Consider that its possible to emerge
  from the
• conversation refreshed, wondering,
  curious,
• surprised.
•  

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To Notice

• To notice
• a thing
• is
• to respond
• to
• that thing.
• Not
• to fix
• or to judge
• or to DO
• anything.

• Just notice.
• To acknowledge.
• To really
• see.
•  
•                      Sally

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Closing Thought

• Humankind has not woven the web of life.
• We are but one thread within it.
• Whatever we do to the web,
• We do to ourselves.
• All things are bound together.
• All things connect.
• Chief Seattle
• (Brother Eagle, Sister Sky)