Describe how out-side school experiences have expanded or deepened your subject area content knowledge, and tell how it enhanced or changed your understanding. Include at least one specific experience.
Out side of school, reading historic books and watching historic documentaries have been a valuable way to increase my content knowledge. For me, one of the most significant out-side school experiences that lead to expanded content knowledge was studying for the history section of the CSET. I didn’t have the best home schooling experience so even after graduating high school and college I had very poor knowledge of world and US history and almost no knowledge of California history. I used the CSET as a motivating factor in my quest to play catch up. Instead of glancing over a study guide, I read books and watched documentaries on as many major historic events as I could within about a three month period. One specific result from my studies, which I am extremely grateful for, is an enhanced understanding of the connection between events in European history. Before, each historic event seemed like a separate fact to be memorized instead of one long story with many cause-and-effect scenarios. Now history is a fascinating drama about which I want to keep learning!
Respond to the class discussion of Ball’s “The Subject Matter Preparation of Teachers.” Have your initial judgments or opinions changed based on the discussion?
One of my original questions when reading this article was “Have recent requirements such as the CBEST and CSET helped ensure necessary content knowledge in prospective teachers?” I realize now that I felt, because of my experience studying, that the CSET was successful in it’s goal of ensuring content knowledge. After Tuesday’s discussion I am aware this is not the case for at least two reasons. The first is the simple fact that you don’t have to study for the CSET as intensely as I did; learning enough of the brief overview in the study guide to earn a minimum of 60% on the exam is sufficient. Secondly, I was aware that you would not know everything about a historic period or event once you passed the CSET but it was not foremost in my mind since I have not started teaching in my own class. Listening to seasoned teachers during the discussion remark on the fact that they are constantly learning as they go really focused my attention on the inadequacies of the content knowledge tests. Even though it would be one more hoop to jump through in the process of becoming a teacher, perhaps one possibility would be a mandatory four week review class (included in the $210 test fee!) taken before the exams? It still would not ensure a high level of content knowledge but perhaps it would help. My final thought on this is - you are never going to get the level of skill desired for the job until the job pays enough to erase the debt incurred for that education. I feel this is true for any profession.
Where are you in developing and pursuing a line of inquiry? What is your question? Are you satisfied with your question? At this point what do you know about the research available in this area? What ideas do you have for possible experiential learning sources?
While trying to come up with possible guiding questions I starting focusing on the Arts as my area interest. One question that particularly caught my attention was “What is the history of street art and how has it been used for social change?” At this point I am satisfied with my question, I think it would translate nicely into a final project which focuses on using art to build community with the goal of negating bullying tendencies. At this point I have been to my local library as well as made a cursory glance online and have found a plethora of information (books and online sites) on graffiti and how it has been used for political and social change.
However, for the most part, I have not had the time to determine if these resources will prove useful for my project. I am still in the process of finding experiential learning sources but some possibilities include visiting the Museum of Modern Art in San Francisco, contacting the Gay & Lesbian Bisexual Transgender Historical Society of Northern California to see if they have used street art in their movement, and contacting actual street art groups or individuals for an interview.
Blogs I responded to:
Wilson Pang
Jessica O'Connell
Marcy Place
Christina Baronian
