Wednesday, December 10, 2008
Gretta's Blog Post 3, Edutopia Video
The video that I chose from Edutopia, was Tricks of the Trade: Quieting the Classroom. I initially chose this video because the topic caught my attention immediately. I think one of the major problems with new teachers is classroom management. I think part of the reason new teachers have problems with this technique is because we are unsure the best way to gain control of the classroom. This deals with getting the classroom to be quiet. Kids are naturally hyper and very talkative, so keeping them quiet is somewhat a task. In the video, Tricks of the Trade: Quieting the Classroom, the teacher instructed teachers to never raise their voice at a student to get them quiet. I agree with this statement, once a teacher has raised her voice or yelled it shows your frustration with the class. You also have to keep in mind that you don't want your students to yell, so you should exemplify the same behavior. The teacher in the video also suggested using some type of technique to get your students quiet. For example, she suggested counting. In a lot of elementary classrooms, the teacher holds up her hand and counts to five. I've found this technique to be very helpful.
Gretta's Blog Post 2!!
"Creativity is as important as literacy in education, and we should treat it with the same status."
This is a very powerful statement, and I would have to say that I agree with it. A student being creative is just as important all by itself. There are so many different aspects where a student can use his or her creativity. If you teach a child to be creative, then it can be a very powerful gift that can help them in the long run. Some of the most famous and impacting people in History are inventors, and it was their creativity that allowed them to invent different things. If we don't teach children the importance of creativity, then we could be missing out on a lot of future inventors that could be very beneficial in our world. Creativity does not just deal with how well a student does a particular thing, but it is about the process that that student uses to get something accomplished. When a student is creative it causes them to use their own ability to complete a task. In schools, there is too much work given that does not require individual effort and that can hurt students in the long run. You'll never know how creative a child can be if you never give them the opportunity. Most children are taught to just do enough work so that they can get by in the class, they don't feel as though it's important for them to use their creativity. However, if we have teachers that teach the importance of creativity, then maybe we can change this attitude.
This is a very powerful statement, and I would have to say that I agree with it. A student being creative is just as important all by itself. There are so many different aspects where a student can use his or her creativity. If you teach a child to be creative, then it can be a very powerful gift that can help them in the long run. Some of the most famous and impacting people in History are inventors, and it was their creativity that allowed them to invent different things. If we don't teach children the importance of creativity, then we could be missing out on a lot of future inventors that could be very beneficial in our world. Creativity does not just deal with how well a student does a particular thing, but it is about the process that that student uses to get something accomplished. When a student is creative it causes them to use their own ability to complete a task. In schools, there is too much work given that does not require individual effort and that can hurt students in the long run. You'll never know how creative a child can be if you never give them the opportunity. Most children are taught to just do enough work so that they can get by in the class, they don't feel as though it's important for them to use their creativity. However, if we have teachers that teach the importance of creativity, then maybe we can change this attitude.
Tuesday, December 9, 2008
Blog Post 3
Technology in education is a vital concept that needs to be intergrated as much as possible. The world that we live in is technology based and the more that we as future teachers learn how to intergrate this tools of technology will allow us to keep our students interest in the teaching material. There are tons of lessons on the internet that demonstrate how to incorporate Mirosoft word, excel, powerpoint, and etc. It is actually surprising to see first graders understanding how to operate these tools of technology better than their teacher. I believe that every teacher needs to understand at least the basics of technology, to an extent where it can be an effective tool in the classroom. I have learned a lot about technology and still learning. I think the school systems are now understanding that the technology of the world needs to be a part of the classrooms. More and more computers and smart boards are being put into classroom, which will help the technology and education to intersect effectively. It will just take time for all the schools to come to the 21st century and realize that technology needs to be in the classroom since this is a technology based world that we live in. Students actually keep interest in material that is being taught if we as teachers go their level of thinking, which is technology based.
Blog Post 2
Prompt: Sir Ken states: "Creativity is as important as literacy in education, and we should teart it with the same status."
In this prompt I agree because I believe that creativity is just as important as literacy. Literacy is important because it is the foundations of reading and knowledge of a growing student. Every childs thinking process is built on literacy. Literacy is the key to reading and understanding anything in this world. Creativity is in the same status. Creativity is what makes everyone unique. Creativity come natural to everyone and even if they do not think they are creativity, in reality they are and just do not realize it. The creative side of the brain goes hand in hand with learning and growing in knowledge. Creativity helps one to develop a well rounded grasp on concepts just like literacy helps one to be well round and grow in knowledge.
In this prompt I agree because I believe that creativity is just as important as literacy. Literacy is important because it is the foundations of reading and knowledge of a growing student. Every childs thinking process is built on literacy. Literacy is the key to reading and understanding anything in this world. Creativity is in the same status. Creativity is what makes everyone unique. Creativity come natural to everyone and even if they do not think they are creativity, in reality they are and just do not realize it. The creative side of the brain goes hand in hand with learning and growing in knowledge. Creativity helps one to develop a well rounded grasp on concepts just like literacy helps one to be well round and grow in knowledge.
Monday, December 1, 2008
Blog Post 3
I chose to watch a video from edutopia. I watched Student Body: Classroom Exercise Makes Learning Lively
This video was about 4 techniques that you can do in the classroom befre or during class to get students up and moving and thinking clearly. I chose this video because we learned about this in our P.E. class and i found it really interesting. The techniques that the guy in video used were kinda of calm and boring. I thought that it would have been more upbeat and fun but they were all just stand in one place movements. I guess this would be good for large classes and older grades. The only problem that it might cause in older grades would that the kids wouldn't participate and some of the movements are funny looking so it could create a distraction. The overall purpose of this video was to introduce movement in the classroom so that it gets the kids back on track with a movement activity.
This video was about 4 techniques that you can do in the classroom befre or during class to get students up and moving and thinking clearly. I chose this video because we learned about this in our P.E. class and i found it really interesting. The techniques that the guy in video used were kinda of calm and boring. I thought that it would have been more upbeat and fun but they were all just stand in one place movements. I guess this would be good for large classes and older grades. The only problem that it might cause in older grades would that the kids wouldn't participate and some of the movements are funny looking so it could create a distraction. The overall purpose of this video was to introduce movement in the classroom so that it gets the kids back on track with a movement activity.
Blog Post 2
Sir Ken states, "Creativity is as important as literacy in education, and we should treat it with the same status."
I do agree with Sir Ken on this statement. I think that it is very important for a child to be able to express creativity. I know that when i was in school it was more fun and allowed us to show our creative side. However, now that i have done many different school field placements, i have found that most creativity has been taken out of the school. I feel like there are many ways to involve creativity through out the curriculum including literacy. A lot of times i have noticed that some kids do not want to pay attention to certain subjects because they have no interest, just as Ken said. If a teacher were to involve some creative aspect to the same subject the child's interest could change in a heartbeat. I have seen just recently in a child i was tutoring in reading that he hated to read. I found out that he loved to do science experiments so i let him read the instructions to science experiments which led him to begin reading and he did not even know it. I allowed for his creativity to shine through while involving literacy. I think all schools should do this. Unfourtanety, schools say they just don't have time. That is a shame
I do agree with Sir Ken on this statement. I think that it is very important for a child to be able to express creativity. I know that when i was in school it was more fun and allowed us to show our creative side. However, now that i have done many different school field placements, i have found that most creativity has been taken out of the school. I feel like there are many ways to involve creativity through out the curriculum including literacy. A lot of times i have noticed that some kids do not want to pay attention to certain subjects because they have no interest, just as Ken said. If a teacher were to involve some creative aspect to the same subject the child's interest could change in a heartbeat. I have seen just recently in a child i was tutoring in reading that he hated to read. I found out that he loved to do science experiments so i let him read the instructions to science experiments which led him to begin reading and he did not even know it. I allowed for his creativity to shine through while involving literacy. I think all schools should do this. Unfourtanety, schools say they just don't have time. That is a shame
Tuesday, November 18, 2008
"Creatively Speaking on the Power of the Imaginative Mind
What is divergent thinking? Divergent thinking is not the same as creativity. Divergent thinking is the fundamental part of the creative process. Being non-creative is simply in a sense that you do not know how to be creative. During this video Sir Ken Robinson had mentioned a project called "Break Point and Beyond," which was a study about divergent thinking. It had been said that throughout this study that the capacity to see connections is to see more than more one answer to a problem. This study was longitudinal throughout the whole process because they retested subjects to see if anything had changed over a span of 10+ years. In order to score high on the test the divergent thinking of 3 – 5 years old is 98%. In three years they retested individuals to see whether or not their thinking will increase or decline and it had declined to 32%. In five more years they retested again when individuals were between the ages of 13 - 15 and found out that it declined again to 18%. Due to this research it had been stated that divergent thinking declines because once students enter the age level for school and they become educated there is only one answer when solving problems. There are several capacities in which divergent thinking can be maintained with the right conditions: 1. Standardized tests, 2. Narrowing curriculum, and 3. STEM: Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math. There are other disciplines that benefit most from a broad based approach to education. Linking across the curriculum is a good way when trying to make connections between different ways of thinking.
Wednesday, November 12, 2008
"Do Schools Kill Creativity?"
Sir Ken states, "Creativity is as important as literacy in education, and we should treat it with the same status." Do you agree, disagree or fall somewhere in between? Explain.
I do agree with Sir Ken because I believe that students creativity should be on a similar rank as literacy. Literacy is stressed a lot within schools so that students are able to understand and process what is presented before them. I think that creativity should be stressed also because without being able to have the ability to be creative students skills are unknown. I think that if we take the time to see how creative a student is and in what way, we then are able to use their creative skills to strengthen other areas, such as various academic subjects, in which they may be weaker. I feel that creativity and literacy can go hand-in-hand because students can illustrate pictures and then you can have them write about it. I think that if there isn't a strain on the flexibility of creativity, then students may want to write a lot about their illustrations. Once the student has written about their picture you can then take that particular creative moment and turn it into a learning experience. If you make mention of a couple of grammatical or spelling errors to the student, I feel that the next time the student will want to spend more time trying to give their best on the literacy part because they are so proud of what they have created. I feel that if we spend less time on trying to conquer things as a big picture, such as literacy, and try to reinforce things as a little picture it will be even more effective. Students feel stressed when concepts are introduced at them, but if we as teachers take the time to include creative, yet fun as well as educational activities students will become interested to the subject because it allows them to have a "little freedom."
I do agree with Sir Ken because I believe that students creativity should be on a similar rank as literacy. Literacy is stressed a lot within schools so that students are able to understand and process what is presented before them. I think that creativity should be stressed also because without being able to have the ability to be creative students skills are unknown. I think that if we take the time to see how creative a student is and in what way, we then are able to use their creative skills to strengthen other areas, such as various academic subjects, in which they may be weaker. I feel that creativity and literacy can go hand-in-hand because students can illustrate pictures and then you can have them write about it. I think that if there isn't a strain on the flexibility of creativity, then students may want to write a lot about their illustrations. Once the student has written about their picture you can then take that particular creative moment and turn it into a learning experience. If you make mention of a couple of grammatical or spelling errors to the student, I feel that the next time the student will want to spend more time trying to give their best on the literacy part because they are so proud of what they have created. I feel that if we spend less time on trying to conquer things as a big picture, such as literacy, and try to reinforce things as a little picture it will be even more effective. Students feel stressed when concepts are introduced at them, but if we as teachers take the time to include creative, yet fun as well as educational activities students will become interested to the subject because it allows them to have a "little freedom."
Tuesday, November 11, 2008
Blog Post 1
The first blog I looked at was Kindergarten Tales. It is used in concert with the classroom by telling everyone what they kindergarten class is doing each day in the classroom. The audience for this blog is parents, students, and teachers. It allows for the parents to see what is going on in the classroom, it can be used for students to share with other people what they did that day, and it can give other teachers ideas. The purpose of the blog is to let other people know what is going on in their classroom. The author’s purpose was to use interesting ways of using technology in the classroom for early learners. This blog is still being used, as a matter a fact they just updated it today! This tool could have amazing potential in and out of the classroom. I feel like for it to work in the classroom it would have to be used in the older grades though. Outside of the classroom this tool lets everyone be involved in the classroom even if they are not there.
The Second blog I looked at was Our Class Blog by Carlene Gauley. It is used in concert with the class by letting the children make their own blog postings. The audience is students, teachers, and parents. The purpose of the blog is to let people know what is going on in their part of the world in their classroom. As far as I can tell it is still being used the teacher last posted on 10/28/2008. I do feel like this one could also be a good tool in the classroom. It showed that early students can use it in the classroom. And it could also be used outside the classroom by letting parents know what is going on and it could be a good communication tool.
The Third blog i looked at was Mrs. Gilberts 3rd grade blog. It was used in concert with the class by the teacher updating the class with information. The audience is the students. The purpose is to communicate with the students. The blog hasn't been updated since June of 2008. i felt like it could be used as a good tool if it was updated more. It was used outside of the classroom because it was used over the summer. Overall it is a good toolto use.
The Second blog I looked at was Our Class Blog by Carlene Gauley. It is used in concert with the class by letting the children make their own blog postings. The audience is students, teachers, and parents. The purpose of the blog is to let people know what is going on in their part of the world in their classroom. As far as I can tell it is still being used the teacher last posted on 10/28/2008. I do feel like this one could also be a good tool in the classroom. It showed that early students can use it in the classroom. And it could also be used outside the classroom by letting parents know what is going on and it could be a good communication tool.
The Third blog i looked at was Mrs. Gilberts 3rd grade blog. It was used in concert with the class by the teacher updating the class with information. The audience is the students. The purpose is to communicate with the students. The blog hasn't been updated since June of 2008. i felt like it could be used as a good tool if it was updated more. It was used outside of the classroom because it was used over the summer. Overall it is a good toolto use.
Sunday, November 9, 2008
Gretta's Blog
Mrs. Gilbert's 3rd grade-Vacation
describe how each blog was used in concert with the classroom? This blog gave students the opportunity to list what they were doing on their summer vacation, and they could come back and talk about it in the classroom.
who is the audience for the blog is (students, parents, etc)? The audience is the teacher and the students
what was the purpose of the blog? The purpose of this blog was for all the students to keep in touch with each other over the summer break. Each student would let the teacher as well as other students know what they were doing for their summer vacation.
does it appear that this blog is still being used, or was it a sort of "passing fancy" for its creator that is no longer in use? I think that this blog only had one purpose, because the teacher gave the students different assignments and deadlines to post about their summer vacation. After they talked about their summer vacation, then there really was not a need to keep posting blogs.
what do you think about this tool? Does this tool (the blog) have potential in or even out of the classroom? Why or why not? I think that this tool was interesting for the students. It allows them to keep in touch with each other outside the classroom.
Miss Jensen's Class Blog-1st graders
describe how each blog was used in concert with the classroom? This blog was used in the classroom to collaborately come up with a class blog of what the students did each week.
who is the audience for the blog is (students, parents, etc)? Teacher, parents, and students
what was the purpose of the blog? The purpose of this blog was for students to inform parents and others what they did in school each week.
does it appear that this blog is still being used, or was it a sort of "passing fancy" for its creator that is no longer in use? I think that this blog can still be used because the students can post a new blog each week or day about the activities that took place in the classroom.
what do you think about this tool? Does this tool (the blog) have potential in or even out of the classroom? Why or why not? I think that this particular blog was a good way to keep the parents informed on what the children do in the classroom on a day to day basis. So its effective outside the classroom.
describe how each blog was used in concert with the classroom? This blog gave students the opportunity to list what they were doing on their summer vacation, and they could come back and talk about it in the classroom.
who is the audience for the blog is (students, parents, etc)? The audience is the teacher and the students
what was the purpose of the blog? The purpose of this blog was for all the students to keep in touch with each other over the summer break. Each student would let the teacher as well as other students know what they were doing for their summer vacation.
does it appear that this blog is still being used, or was it a sort of "passing fancy" for its creator that is no longer in use? I think that this blog only had one purpose, because the teacher gave the students different assignments and deadlines to post about their summer vacation. After they talked about their summer vacation, then there really was not a need to keep posting blogs.
what do you think about this tool? Does this tool (the blog) have potential in or even out of the classroom? Why or why not? I think that this tool was interesting for the students. It allows them to keep in touch with each other outside the classroom.
Miss Jensen's Class Blog-1st graders
describe how each blog was used in concert with the classroom? This blog was used in the classroom to collaborately come up with a class blog of what the students did each week.
who is the audience for the blog is (students, parents, etc)? Teacher, parents, and students
what was the purpose of the blog? The purpose of this blog was for students to inform parents and others what they did in school each week.
does it appear that this blog is still being used, or was it a sort of "passing fancy" for its creator that is no longer in use? I think that this blog can still be used because the students can post a new blog each week or day about the activities that took place in the classroom.
what do you think about this tool? Does this tool (the blog) have potential in or even out of the classroom? Why or why not? I think that this particular blog was a good way to keep the parents informed on what the children do in the classroom on a day to day basis. So its effective outside the classroom.
Thursday, October 30, 2008
- Mrs. Gilberts Class Blog
- Describe how each blog was used in concert with the classroom? Mrs. Gilbert’s blog showed assignments for the students and it showed pictures that went on in the classroom. Students could post comments on the assignments.
- Who is the audience for the blog is (students, parents, etc)? It is for both students and parents. Students can come on and see assignments and interact with the teacher and the parents can stay in tune with the class and what the teacher is teaching in the classroom.
- What was the purpose of the blog? Mrs. Gilberts blog is to bring together her class and parents. She lists everything that is happening and everything that is being taught in her class.
- Does it appear that this blog is still being used, or was it a sort of "passing fancy" for its creator that is no longer in use? This blog was in use for a long time, actually over a year but now it seems as though the usage has stop.
- What do you think about this tool? Does this tool (the blog) have potential in or even out of the classroom? Why or why not? At first I did not think blogging would help in the classroom, but after looking at how teachers are actually using them I can now see myself actually using them in my future classroom.
- Mrs. Carlene Gauley Class Blog
- Who is the audience for the blog is (students, parents, etc)? This is for both parents and students and to the rest of the world. The teacher welcomes everyone to her blog and is extremely excited about what her class has done.
- What was the purpose of the blog? To show everyone what has being going on in her class. It shows detail to what the students have done through video and student entries.
- Does it appear that this blog is still being used, or was it a sort of "passing fancy" for its creator that is no longer in use? Yes, this blog is currently being used and up to date on everything that is happening in the classroom. The teacher has even posted what took place today in the class.
- What do you think about this tool? Does this tool (the blog) have potential in or even out of the classroom? Why or why not? Again yes, blogging has potential in and out of the classroom. Parents are able to play an active role in the students’ education and the students are becoming well technology integrated by adding posts and comments on the blog.
Monday, October 27, 2008
7th grade -- Earth Science
My second blog that I chose from the list of K-12 blogs was:
7th Grade Earth Science http://bsds7thscience.blogspot.com/. This blog is used in concert with the classroom because it has trivia questions and videos about topics that were discussed in class. Students can use this blog to assist them in finding reference and generally useful websites. The audience for this blog is for seventh grade students. The purpose of the blog is assist students in learning about earth science. This blog is still is use because there are postings from August to October 20, 2008. These postings archive topics pertaining to earth science. I think that this tool is beneficial, but I think that this blog could be a little more organized in its setup. This tool has potential in the classroom because students can research information, classroom notes, and trivia questions that can assist students as a whole class or individuals in understanding earth science topics.
7th Grade Earth Science http://bsds7thscience.blogspot.com/. This blog is used in concert with the classroom because it has trivia questions and videos about topics that were discussed in class. Students can use this blog to assist them in finding reference and generally useful websites. The audience for this blog is for seventh grade students. The purpose of the blog is assist students in learning about earth science. This blog is still is use because there are postings from August to October 20, 2008. These postings archive topics pertaining to earth science. I think that this tool is beneficial, but I think that this blog could be a little more organized in its setup. This tool has potential in the classroom because students can research information, classroom notes, and trivia questions that can assist students as a whole class or individuals in understanding earth science topics.
Sunday, October 26, 2008
Kindergarten Blog
My first blog that I chose from the list of K-12 blogs was:
Kindergarten http://kdgroom102.blogspot.com/. I chose this blog because I was interested in what a kindergarten blog would look like and what kind of information it would contain. This blog exhibited various types of information about what they were learning within the classroom. I liked how this blog was setup; to me it was like a time capsule, because it started from the first day of school to various outings as a class such as McDonald’s Night, rock climbing; to what they were learning such as: how to write their numbers, learning letters and sounds, to how to keep safe while at home, and about buttons – how to sort them, count them, reading a book “Corduroy” by Don Freeman, and comparing the book to a video that they had watched. I think that this blog’s purpose was to be informational in general but was intended to inform the classes’ parents about what their child was learning within the classroom. I thought of this blog as an interactive classroom newsletter, because it has information about what they are learning and it also has videos of various activities that were taking place. This blog is constantly being used, because there are postings since the beginning of the school year to the current week to show activities that are taking place during that particular week. I think that this tool has potential both in and out of the classroom; because this is a great way that allows further instruction within the home. This blog is also a great tool for outside of the classroom because it allows "field trips" to be videotaped so that it could be a visual memory of what has happened throughout the school year, and to also show how students have evolved over time.
Kindergarten http://kdgroom102.blogspot.com/. I chose this blog because I was interested in what a kindergarten blog would look like and what kind of information it would contain. This blog exhibited various types of information about what they were learning within the classroom. I liked how this blog was setup; to me it was like a time capsule, because it started from the first day of school to various outings as a class such as McDonald’s Night, rock climbing; to what they were learning such as: how to write their numbers, learning letters and sounds, to how to keep safe while at home, and about buttons – how to sort them, count them, reading a book “Corduroy” by Don Freeman, and comparing the book to a video that they had watched. I think that this blog’s purpose was to be informational in general but was intended to inform the classes’ parents about what their child was learning within the classroom. I thought of this blog as an interactive classroom newsletter, because it has information about what they are learning and it also has videos of various activities that were taking place. This blog is constantly being used, because there are postings since the beginning of the school year to the current week to show activities that are taking place during that particular week. I think that this tool has potential both in and out of the classroom; because this is a great way that allows further instruction within the home. This blog is also a great tool for outside of the classroom because it allows "field trips" to be videotaped so that it could be a visual memory of what has happened throughout the school year, and to also show how students have evolved over time.
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