Final Project

I am kind of stressing about the final project. I haven't received anything back from my lesson that I did a few weeks ago. I know that I didn't have much content in it and I am having a hard time thinking of ways to change the lesson so that it's more content driven. I am also having a hard time coming up with another lesson that ties into the history lesson I already planned. Other than that I think I am all set with what we are supposed to do.

Reluctant Learner

This is a tough scenerio. I would have Renee stay after school with me so that I could help her with the research. I would read the chapters with her so that I could assess her understanding. I would also have her restate what we read so that I can check for understanding. I would try to explain to her how important it is to work with her classmates. I would explain that she has a lot to offer to the other members in the group and that she is an important member of the whole group. I would also look online with her so that I could give her some ideas about what sites she can find great pictures that might illustrate what the chapter was about. After, I would give her a task to share her findings with her group members the following day in class. I would try to make the reading fun and engaging. We could take turns, or she could listen to it on tape. I would try to make her feel as though she has an important part of the group and the assignment.

Online games

I think that online games are ok for the most part. It's when children play games all day long, then I don't think they are good for the education of the student. I think that many games teach children about real life senerio's. Those who play online games, may have a better idea of real life things that happen. Also, there are a lot of games that are educational for children. I also think that parents should regulate the types of games their children are playing. Some online games give opportunity to play with people around the world. This gives them opportunity to talk to other people and maybe learn how differently our culture is compared to theirs. I don't support online games 100% but I think that it has it's benefits. I don't think children should be playing games where they are killing other people. Then, when they come to school, they may act the way they did while playing their games.

News Article
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2008/09/16/eveningnews/eyeontech/main4453801.shtml
Research Study
http://www.cbsnews.com/htdocs/pdf/PIP_Teens_Games_and_Civics_Report_FINAL.pdf?tag=contentMain;contentBody

This article has a lot of stitistics about games and children. It also discusses civics related to games and children. It defends online games because it says that the children who play games are not socially isolated and that even though kids play games, they still have plenty of time to do reading, or other school work. It also talks about the peer based learning that goes on while playing games. All of this is reflected when kids go to school and socialize.
A good quote from the article was, "There's a real promise here to harness the enthusiasm of young people for games and to use that to help them learn things more effectively in the classroom."

Update

So far, I am really enjoying the class. I think I'm doing well with the assignments as well. I liked learning about each assignments we've had to do such as Pages, Garage Band, and Keynote. It's sometimes hard for me to find time to do the assignments because I live an hour away and I'm only at school two days a week. Other than that, I enjoy doing all the assignments. I like to do them because it allows me to feel creative.
The only thing I am somewhat struggling with is the final project. I think as the semester goes on, I'll feel more comfortable with the assignment. It just seems a bit hazy to me.
The projects we've done in class seem like they could be very useful when I have my own classroom. I would love to assign my students to create their own Pages newsletter so that I could get to know them better. It would be neat to see how different and unique the students are from one another.

Video and Article on Technology

I am impressed with how much technology there is in this classroom on the video. We had smart boards in highschool, but never in elementary, let along kindergarten. The students seem very smart and capable of learning and using the technology offered in their classroom. The students are interesed in what they are learning because the information is "authentic." Giveing them a purpose for learning, definately motivated them.

They use smart boards in every classroom in their school. It mentioned that they use the computer and the internet as well for further instruction. I agree that the you have to have give the students a purpose so it is more meaningful to the students. It enagages them the activity. They use the smart boards for so many different lessons in class. I found that using it for writing and spelling lessons seem to be effective. The students are engaged in their learning. They also use a microphone to share with other students about their lives. I think that's a great idea to have in the classroom, because it makes them realize that they have a right to be heard. It helps them be more social with their classmates, and teaches them how to socialize in the future.

School Kills Creativity?!

First of all, the man is humorous. I think that his humor draws people into what he says. I think that schools give a lot of opportunity for students to be creative. When they write, read, or do art activities, they are able to be creative. When he mentions the girl who wanted to draw a picture of God, the teacher mentions that nobody knows what God looks like. Still, the student was allowed to do her drawing and be creative. She was using her imagination to show her idea of what God looks like.
I agree with his idea of hierarchy in schools; math at the top, arts on the bottom. Although, schools focus on getting students ready for their future, they still have opportunities to be creative when they do their work. Schools also have after school activities such as drama club, sports, and debate teams.
When I am in a Practicum, the first thing I notice in the school is the art work that's up on the walls. I think that most schools value creativity and let their students express their creativity.

Creativity is "original ideas that have value..." I think that's a great quote that he says.

I think that most students are very creative, but not all show it like others. Some students do dance, plays, and some do musicals. Others who are more shy express their creativity through their writing, reading, and drawings. I was shy in school so I didn't like doing chorus, or being in plays. I liked to draw and write. That's how I showed my creativity. I think that he wants all students to physically express their creativity, when not all students are like that.
When he says that creativity should be just as important as literacy, I agree with him to an extent. I think school should focus on creativity, but their main goal is to prepare them for their future. Why can't schools do both at the same time?

Technology Experiences

When asked what kinds of technology was used when I was a student, the first thing that comes to mind is the smart board. I went to Lawrence High School, we had smart boards in most of the classrooms. In my math class, my teacher would use it everyday. It came in handy because students could do homework problems or equations on the board for everone to see. It seemed to be more effective than the classic white board. The teacher used it for powerpoints, for us to take notes, and she would go onto the internet and show us sited that were handy. That teacher also new a lot about graphing calculators. She taught us how to use them and the short cuts to go along with it. If you haven't noticed, my favorite subject in school is math. That teacher definately taught using technology more than the rest of my teachers. Although she taught us how to use the calculators, I forgot many of the techniques she showed me. I loved how she was a math teacher who was eager to use the calculators because many math teachers don't believe in calculators.
A lot of teachers used powerpoint when I was in highschool, as well as now in college. In junior high, I remember doing a powerpoint on my own for the first time. Our assignment was to create a powerpoint that included 2 of my heroes. I did not know how to put in sounds or animations before the class. I learn how to make my powerpoint more eye catching by putting them.
I also remember using "clickers." I was a sophomore in highschool and we tried them out just to see if we liked them. The teacher set up a bunch of history related questions that had to do with what we were learning. Each student in the class had their own clicker. I think the clicker had an A, B, C and D. I'm not sure what else it had on it. When the question appear each student would chose an answer. On the board, it showed bar graphs, charts and percentages. I think clickers would be an excellent source to use as a teacher because it mixes up the style of assessment. Instead of doing classic pen and paper testing, clickers offer an alternative. All students have different learning styles and do better with different styles of testing/assessment. Clickers may be a more efficience and effective way of testing. It also shows the teacher what they could improve on when teaching their lesson. By looking at the results of the test, they will know what they need to reteach, or cover more effectively.

*Amber C