About Me

1. James Shurtleff,  Strongsville, Ohio,  jshurtleff15@jcu.edu
2. Jim
3. Undergraduate degree from Ohio State - history major with a geography minor. Seeking AYA Licensure (7th-12th grade) in Social Studies. Interning at Brush High School in the fall.


4. I am a big sports fan and follow all the Cleveland teams.  I will attend many Indian games this fall where I will be attempting to break my brother's dollar hot dog record of 15. I enjoy running and playing tennis. I also love to cook. I like trying new foods and making new recipes. I have four brothers and I am a triplet. My youngest brother will be a senior at St. Ignatius where much of the class will be teaching. 


5. I have already been feeling more comfortable getting to know the group of students in this program. In order to take risks in classroom, I need to feel at ease asking questions and speaking my thoughts.  Also, having other students actively participating makes it easier for me to jump in. 


6. As a student, I view myself as a hard worker. I come prepared to classes and complete readings and assignments. When working on projects or papers, I sometimes procrastinate, but I do manage my time well and complete assignments on time. My active participation in class can definitely improve. Often times I have ideas and thoughts but refrain from commenting. I would like to participate more often than I do. I find discussion the most effective way of learning because many ideas and perspectives are expressed about the same topic.
      I learn in many ways. Standard lecture and notes have been effective for me. When I do a project or group work, I think that I am more able to commit the information to long term memory because I have a picture in my mind of how I learned the material. 
      When I have trouble understanding information, I usually do more research on my own. Usually that involves looking up information on the internet or doing further reading. If I am still having difficulty finding an answer, I try to ask someone that understands the topic, like a teacher or fellow student. 


7. There is nothing specific that comes to mind.

8. A formative memory I have as a student occurred this past spring in a Civil War discussion course where I was presented with the opportunity to teach and discuss a book that the class had read. It was a small, 10-student class. It had a significant impact because it was my first real experience tackling a topic from every possible angle from a teaching perspective. The book focused on dissent in the Civil War South. I read the novel twice, took detailed notes each time and found myself noticing different themes and ideas. Leading the discussion, something I had always been nervous about previously, was an an empowering feeling. Ultimately, I found that my classmates had different topics and ideas that had an impact on them. I came away with a better realization that educated, free-thinking individuals can assess the same information in different ways and form contrasting viewpoints on the same topic. The class taught me what it truly meant to be a historian. 


9. A major issue in education right now is respect and faith in teachers. All the standards and structured curriculum from the state reflects the lack of trust in teachers' ability to teach students on their own. If standardized tests were not a measurement of success, teachers could more freely exercise their ability and connect with their students. When students fail to reach requirements, teachers are often blamed for the lack of success. There is the idea that students need to be assessed on certain information in a standardized way. The tests are far too often viewed as a measurement of how a school and its teachers are doing. Teaching for a test does not allow a teacher to express her or her abilities in a classroom. Instead it lends itself to cramming information into the minds of students. This does not create a passion to learn and it inhibits creativity and thought. If there was more faith in teachers, then the standards could be less strict. 
      This issue of funding goes along with these ideas. Teachers are pressured by their school districts to get as many students as possible to pass a test. When schools fail to reach certain standards, their funding can be cut back. But this makes no sense at all. A school that does not meet standards needs just as much, if not more assistance because without funding the school will fall further behind. The focus should be on improving struggling schools, not cutting funding from these schools.


10. For this course to be a meaningful experience we need to have both small and large group discussions that create shared ideas from each individual in the class. We must treat each discussion as valuable to understanding educations. We need to draw from each others' experiences and viewpoints to learn. We must engage in projects that analyze topics from a point of view we may not agree with. Readings that may anger us are also an important way to create thought. 
      We need to address current education issues and relate them to the issues of the past. A historical perspective on education is imperative. Content such as how education is evolving and how to deal with obstacles in education today are important topics to explore. Specifically, how do we get the best out of ourselves as teachers and our students despite certain restraints that may be placed on the classroom? What are the best ways for a teacher to continue to learn about teaching?  How can teachers work together as a unit to improve education as a whole? What ways can teachers learn from each other and continue to improve the profession?
    We need to be a class that engages in diverse conversations. We need to disagree with one another and voice different opinions and ideas in order for the class to reach its potential. Each person needs to have a unique perspective that shapes how others in the class view topics. 
    We need to avoid generalizations and standard ways of taking on learning material. We need to avoid having conversations where everyone is in agreement. While this may occur, there is often a perspective that disagrees, and these ideas need to be explored. We need to avoid holding back any thoughts that we think may contribute to the class discussion.


11. What is the most significant class in education that you have taken? What is your favorite hobby?