Saturday, December 12, 2009
Week 14
I completed the reflection, course evaluation and feedback survey, and checked my grades on Moodle. Everything looks right!
Internet Saftey Reflection
I chose to read Setting Family Standards for Entertainment by Carla Dalton. I chose this article because I wanted to learn more about creating a safe and uplifting environment in my future home. I really liked the advice to talk with your kids about gospel principles and values and then ask them how the entertainment they are participating in fits with those values.
I watched several of the video resources on NetSmartwith real-life examples of youth who learned about internet safety the hard way. It was very sobering to realize how many kids could have avoided awful situations if they had just been better educated about internet safety. I also watched the video Faux Paw's internet safety video on iKeepSafe, which I think is a really good resource for young children. It gets the message across without being too scary.
I think the biggest take-away I got from this assignment is the importance of educating children about internet safety, but also emphasizing the good things about the internet and technology in general. If your children and kids understand how to both be safe and enjoy using technology, they will be more likely to make good choices. They will know how to be cautious without being scared. I also learned how important it is for parents to be aware of their children's use of the internet and media. It seemed like all the kids who got in trouble in the videos I watched, their parents had no clue of what was going on.
I talked to my mom about internet safety. She actually knew a lot about how to be safe while surfing the web. She was a little shocked by some of the cyberbulling and things that actually go on, but she said that she doesn't worry about my three younger sisters who are still at home. The computers they use are their laptops from school that have blocked access to bad websites and even social networks like facebook. But she also said that she wishes they didn't spend so much time playing games or emailing on their computers. When I told her about the different resources, she said she thought it would be a good to have an FHE lesson on the internet and media.
I watched several of the video resources on NetSmartwith real-life examples of youth who learned about internet safety the hard way. It was very sobering to realize how many kids could have avoided awful situations if they had just been better educated about internet safety. I also watched the video Faux Paw's internet safety video on iKeepSafe, which I think is a really good resource for young children. It gets the message across without being too scary.
I think the biggest take-away I got from this assignment is the importance of educating children about internet safety, but also emphasizing the good things about the internet and technology in general. If your children and kids understand how to both be safe and enjoy using technology, they will be more likely to make good choices. They will know how to be cautious without being scared. I also learned how important it is for parents to be aware of their children's use of the internet and media. It seemed like all the kids who got in trouble in the videos I watched, their parents had no clue of what was going on.
I talked to my mom about internet safety. She actually knew a lot about how to be safe while surfing the web. She was a little shocked by some of the cyberbulling and things that actually go on, but she said that she doesn't worry about my three younger sisters who are still at home. The computers they use are their laptops from school that have blocked access to bad websites and even social networks like facebook. But she also said that she wishes they didn't spend so much time playing games or emailing on their computers. When I told her about the different resources, she said she thought it would be a good to have an FHE lesson on the internet and media.
Friday, December 4, 2009
IP&T 301 Week 10
The most interesting thing about the reading (I read the modules on social and moral development) was the importance of family and parents in the development of these skills. I obviously feel that family IS the most important factor in a child's development, but I was pleasantly surprised that the experts agree. I really don't think parents realize the difference they can make by just setting a good example of positive social and moral behavior and teaching those principles to their children.
Tuesday, December 1, 2009
Tuesday, November 24, 2009
IP&T 301 Week 9
1.) I think the students in my cohort classroom are both intrinsically and extrinsically motivated. I can tell some students work hard and put forth their best effort because they love learning and want to do well, but others clearly are working just to get class points towards a party and reading to gain tickets to enter a drawing.
2.) Intrinsic motivation can be either positively or negatively affected by rewards and praise. If small rewards are given sparingly and unexpectedly, they can help students engage in tasks they normally would not be motivated to engage in. If the reward provides the initial motivation and then the student develops a sincere interest in the activity, then the student becomes intrinsically motivated. However, giving external rewards can often motivate students extrinsically because they work for the reward. Praise can increase intrinsic motivation if it is specific, informational, and sincere. If teachers praise students for being “smart” or constantly praise less-than-praiseworthy behavior it can undermine intrinsic motivation.
3.) If students feel confident that they will succeed and understand the value or relevancy for mastering a certain task, they will be motivated because they expect to succeed and to gain something from that success.
4.) Individual students were praised highly by their teacher when they advanced a level on the accelerated reader program and were additionally given a balloon and pencil from the school librarian. To increase the entire class’ motivation, the teacher set up a points system to reward the class when they were all exhibiting desired behavior.
5.) I agree with the cognitive theory the most because I think it covers all areas of motivation: students’ perceptions of their own abilities, goals, motivation, teacher feedback, and development. I believe there are many factors that affect student motivation and desire to learn new things and acquire new skills. What motivates one student may be different from another student and teacher need to be award of all the different factors that can increase or decrease their students’ motivation to learn.
2.) Intrinsic motivation can be either positively or negatively affected by rewards and praise. If small rewards are given sparingly and unexpectedly, they can help students engage in tasks they normally would not be motivated to engage in. If the reward provides the initial motivation and then the student develops a sincere interest in the activity, then the student becomes intrinsically motivated. However, giving external rewards can often motivate students extrinsically because they work for the reward. Praise can increase intrinsic motivation if it is specific, informational, and sincere. If teachers praise students for being “smart” or constantly praise less-than-praiseworthy behavior it can undermine intrinsic motivation.
3.) If students feel confident that they will succeed and understand the value or relevancy for mastering a certain task, they will be motivated because they expect to succeed and to gain something from that success.
4.) Individual students were praised highly by their teacher when they advanced a level on the accelerated reader program and were additionally given a balloon and pencil from the school librarian. To increase the entire class’ motivation, the teacher set up a points system to reward the class when they were all exhibiting desired behavior.
5.) I agree with the cognitive theory the most because I think it covers all areas of motivation: students’ perceptions of their own abilities, goals, motivation, teacher feedback, and development. I believe there are many factors that affect student motivation and desire to learn new things and acquire new skills. What motivates one student may be different from another student and teacher need to be award of all the different factors that can increase or decrease their students’ motivation to learn.
Saturday, November 21, 2009
Tuesday, November 10, 2009
Week 10: The most important thing I learned...
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I think the biggest thing I learned from watching from these three videos is that even young students can independently use technology to create multimedia projects. In the “Brown, Bear” video, the kindergarten students were able to create original, detailed pictures of vehicles using KidPix. The teacher said the students had no exposure to computers before coming to school, but after having time to play around and experiment on the computers, the students became very competent computer users. Because of their curiosity and creativity, they made many computer discoveries on their own without teacher instruction.
Tuesday, November 3, 2009
Technology Observation
I feel like my school has a pretty wide variety of technology. The students all have daily access to computers outside their classroom in the hall or "pod." It is nice because the computers don't take up classroom space and the students can go use them when they need to. However, I feel like my teacher doesn't take advantage of the technology tools available to her. The students only use the computer for AR tests, and so far, I haven't seen her use any technology except the overhead in her instruction. She says that she has used the LCD projector from time to time, but I feel like that could be a huge asset for her if she incorporated it more into her lessons.
I completed the midcourse evaluation and informed consent.
I completed the midcourse evaluation and informed consent.
Thursday, October 29, 2009
Teaching Reflection
I felt like our teaching presentation on cognitive development went very well overall. It seemed very difficult at first to come up with creative activities to do, but after a lot of thinking and sharing ideas, Nancy and I came up with some really meaningful activities to enhance the class' understanding of the concepts. We demonstrated individual and social constructivism by having some people work in groups or work individually to solve a math problem. We were then able to discuss the the positives and negatives of social and individual constructivism and examples of each in the real world. We showed two video clips and another real-world example to illustrate the two types of constructivism.
Another activity we did was sorting animals into different categories to illustrate assimilation, adaptation, and avoidance. This activity surprised me a little bit because I expected people to do different things with the animals that didn't fit in the categories. Instead, every group assimilated the outliers into the set categories. If I did this activity again, I would not have pre-set categories and let the groups sort the animals as they saw fit. Then maybe they would have made some adaptations or avoided some of the animals.
While I felt our presentation went well, it definitely could have gone better. The main thing I would have changed would be to practice going through the slide show with the different activities and videos. Although I understood the content of each slide and the goal of the activities, we did not take the time to run through our entire presentation, and so I felt a little unprepared in that aspect. It just did not seem to flow as well as it could have.
I also realized that we talked much more about constructivism rather than cognitive development. While they are very closely related, they are different things. I didn't really realize that the whole presentation, we were referring to constructivism rather than cognitive development until after the fact.
I did feel like I learned a great deal in doing this presentation. I chose this topic because I thought I understood it really well. But in preparing the presentation, I realized how much I didn't fully comprehend. In planning ways to help others understand the concepts more fully, I felt like I made many more connections to the concepts and I now understand it on a much deeper level.
Another activity we did was sorting animals into different categories to illustrate assimilation, adaptation, and avoidance. This activity surprised me a little bit because I expected people to do different things with the animals that didn't fit in the categories. Instead, every group assimilated the outliers into the set categories. If I did this activity again, I would not have pre-set categories and let the groups sort the animals as they saw fit. Then maybe they would have made some adaptations or avoided some of the animals.
While I felt our presentation went well, it definitely could have gone better. The main thing I would have changed would be to practice going through the slide show with the different activities and videos. Although I understood the content of each slide and the goal of the activities, we did not take the time to run through our entire presentation, and so I felt a little unprepared in that aspect. It just did not seem to flow as well as it could have.
I also realized that we talked much more about constructivism rather than cognitive development. While they are very closely related, they are different things. I didn't really realize that the whole presentation, we were referring to constructivism rather than cognitive development until after the fact.
I did feel like I learned a great deal in doing this presentation. I chose this topic because I thought I understood it really well. But in preparing the presentation, I realized how much I didn't fully comprehend. In planning ways to help others understand the concepts more fully, I felt like I made many more connections to the concepts and I now understand it on a much deeper level.
Wednesday, October 28, 2009
Voicethreads I have watched...
Amy's Stellarium
Nina's Virtual Pond
Celecta's Balanced Meal
Mostly what I learned from this activity is that even though science really needs to be interactive and hands-on, you do not need the actual materials to make it that way! Using these wonderful technology programs, you can bring the outside world right into the classroom so that students can observe it, manipulate it, experiment with it, and make predictions and conclusions about it. Through technology, hidden doors to science are suddenly opened wide!
Amy's Stellarium
Nina's Virtual Pond
Celecta's Balanced Meal
Mostly what I learned from this activity is that even though science really needs to be interactive and hands-on, you do not need the actual materials to make it that way! Using these wonderful technology programs, you can bring the outside world right into the classroom so that students can observe it, manipulate it, experiment with it, and make predictions and conclusions about it. Through technology, hidden doors to science are suddenly opened wide!
Thursday, October 22, 2009
IP&T 301 Week 7
I strongly support the constructivist theory because it emphasizes learning from concrete interactions with the physical world. I learn most from hands-on, personal experience. When I read or listen to a lecture, I can memorize it and remember it for the test, and then forget it completely. For example, I took two years of Spanish in high school. Most of the classes were memorizing vocabulary and completing worksheets, and by mid-June, I had forgotten all but maybe four phrases in Spanish. When I took two semesters of Spanish at BYU, we spent the majority of our class time listening to and speaking Spanish. I probably learned more in two months at BYU then I did in two years during high school. By the end of those two semesters I could actually have a basic conversation with a native Spanish speakers.
Another reason I support the constructivist theory is because I believe we are born with the ability to actively construct knowledge about the world. I have observed young children, even babies, exploring their environment through touching, observing, and playing. In the Bohlin book, it describes the role of play as a natural, instinctive way of learning. Children play without anyone teaching them how. They play, they explore, they observe because they want to make meaning—they want to learn.
I also definitely support the idea of equilibrium and disequilibrium. I am highly motivated to learn when something doesn't make sense to me. For example, in my math class, our teacher often begins class with a challenging problem, one that stretches our thinking and beliefs about mathematics. While there are times that I get frustrated, for the most part I am excited and determined to figure out the solution. I want it to make sense to me, and I can't just let it rest until I do. There are many times when I'll come across something in my reading and it challenges what I've always believed to be true. Then I have to go look it up on the internet or have someone explain it to me before I can think about anything else. At least for me, I need to have everything clear in my mind in order to be happy and content. If there is something that doesn't make sense, I will learn more about it until it does, or if it still doesn't make sense, I will just avoid it and assume that it is untrue or that I will understand it later after my knowledge has developed further.
One question I wondered about is that our book does not address retention of learning knowledge. I feel that although I do learn things more thoroughly when I construct the knowledge for myself and I remember it better, I still forget it unless I continue constructing and building on that knowledge. With my previous example, while learned a great deal of Spanish in those two semesters, I stopped taking classes and had very little opportunity to practice what I had learned. I now feel like I lost most of the skills I gained. I am sure that the constructivist theory stresses the importance of continually building on and reviewing knowledge in order for it to be remembered. I do wonder, though, if knowledge is easier to re-learn if it was first learned through actively constructing rather than simply absorbing something from a textbook or lecture.
Another reason I support the constructivist theory is because I believe we are born with the ability to actively construct knowledge about the world. I have observed young children, even babies, exploring their environment through touching, observing, and playing. In the Bohlin book, it describes the role of play as a natural, instinctive way of learning. Children play without anyone teaching them how. They play, they explore, they observe because they want to make meaning—they want to learn.
I also definitely support the idea of equilibrium and disequilibrium. I am highly motivated to learn when something doesn't make sense to me. For example, in my math class, our teacher often begins class with a challenging problem, one that stretches our thinking and beliefs about mathematics. While there are times that I get frustrated, for the most part I am excited and determined to figure out the solution. I want it to make sense to me, and I can't just let it rest until I do. There are many times when I'll come across something in my reading and it challenges what I've always believed to be true. Then I have to go look it up on the internet or have someone explain it to me before I can think about anything else. At least for me, I need to have everything clear in my mind in order to be happy and content. If there is something that doesn't make sense, I will learn more about it until it does, or if it still doesn't make sense, I will just avoid it and assume that it is untrue or that I will understand it later after my knowledge has developed further.
One question I wondered about is that our book does not address retention of learning knowledge. I feel that although I do learn things more thoroughly when I construct the knowledge for myself and I remember it better, I still forget it unless I continue constructing and building on that knowledge. With my previous example, while learned a great deal of Spanish in those two semesters, I stopped taking classes and had very little opportunity to practice what I had learned. I now feel like I lost most of the skills I gained. I am sure that the constructivist theory stresses the importance of continually building on and reviewing knowledge in order for it to be remembered. I do wonder, though, if knowledge is easier to re-learn if it was first learned through actively constructing rather than simply absorbing something from a textbook or lecture.
Tuesday, October 20, 2009
Science Challenge Activity
UEN Core: 1st grade science, Standard 3, Objective 1b- Compare objects that float and sink in water.
Plan:
My activity revolves around making predictions about whether 10 classroom objects will float or sink in water. The students will then test their predictions by filling a beaker or graduated cylinder with a 100 mL of water, putting each object one at a time in the water, and observing whether or not the objects float or sink in the water. They will record both their predictions and observations using Kidspiration. (While there is a "sink or float" activity already created in Kidspiration, I plan to create my own outline so that students can record their predictions as well as their observations.) The students will record their predictions by moving the pictures of the objects into "float" or "sink" categories. After conducting the experiment, students will then re-classify the objects into "float" or "sink" by dragging another copy of the pictures into the observation boxes.
To further explore, students will then complete a VenDiagram, comparing and contrasting the objects that float and sink. Students will then further explore and analyze their data by forming a hypothesis about what makes an object buoyant or not. Students will have access to rulers, scales, magnifying glasses, and other tools to further measure and explore their objects to discover new similarities and differences. After forming and futher testing their hypothesis, the class will come together and share what they've learned.
Plan:
My activity revolves around making predictions about whether 10 classroom objects will float or sink in water. The students will then test their predictions by filling a beaker or graduated cylinder with a 100 mL of water, putting each object one at a time in the water, and observing whether or not the objects float or sink in the water. They will record both their predictions and observations using Kidspiration. (While there is a "sink or float" activity already created in Kidspiration, I plan to create my own outline so that students can record their predictions as well as their observations.) The students will record their predictions by moving the pictures of the objects into "float" or "sink" categories. After conducting the experiment, students will then re-classify the objects into "float" or "sink" by dragging another copy of the pictures into the observation boxes.
To further explore, students will then complete a VenDiagram, comparing and contrasting the objects that float and sink. Students will then further explore and analyze their data by forming a hypothesis about what makes an object buoyant or not. Students will have access to rulers, scales, magnifying glasses, and other tools to further measure and explore their objects to discover new similarities and differences. After forming and futher testing their hypothesis, the class will come together and share what they've learned.
Friday, October 16, 2009
GoogleEarth link
Here is the link to my webpage where you can download my GoogleEarth tour. My Webpage
IP&T 301 Week 7
1.) I remember in elementary school working in a cooperative group to create a little debate about year-round school vs. having summers off. I also remember creating things in science working with groups, such as building a bridge out of toothpicks and rubber cement to see which would hold the most weight. At the college level, I have worked in cooperative groups in almost every elementary education class I have been in! Right now in my TELL 440 class, we are working in groups to create center activities. Our teacher gave us guidelines about what needs to be in our activities and is available to answer questions, but we are working together to come up with the ideas and create the final product.
2.) I definitely feel that cooperative learning promotes learning because it allows students to share ideas and knowledge with each other. I know that I always learn more when I listen to the ways that other students thought about something. I also understand concepts better when I am given the opportunity to teach them to others.
3.) Reciprocal questioning and instructional conversation both involve the students asking questions and teaching each other. They are both face to face and promote participation of each student. Reciprocal teaching is different because the teacher is not involved in the conversation, it is just student to student. In instructional conversation, the teacher prompts students to ask and answer questions by posing good questions and letting the students discuss.
4.) I think I would use ability grouping for reading groups, so the students could all be reading books at their reading level and having discussions at their level of understanding. I would use mixed-grouping in a lot of social studies activities where students with different backgrounds and thinking strategies can bring a wide range of ideas and perspectives to the discussion. Really, I think I would use a mix of both types of grouping for every subject area. In mixed groups, lower-ability students will feel more challenged and be able to learn more from a student who has a good understanding of the concept. Mixed groups also promote classroom unity and understanding between students of all abilities. In ability groups, higher-ability students can feel more cognitively stimulated by working with students who are at their same ability level, while the lower-ability students may feel more comfortable and willing to participate.
2.) I definitely feel that cooperative learning promotes learning because it allows students to share ideas and knowledge with each other. I know that I always learn more when I listen to the ways that other students thought about something. I also understand concepts better when I am given the opportunity to teach them to others.
3.) Reciprocal questioning and instructional conversation both involve the students asking questions and teaching each other. They are both face to face and promote participation of each student. Reciprocal teaching is different because the teacher is not involved in the conversation, it is just student to student. In instructional conversation, the teacher prompts students to ask and answer questions by posing good questions and letting the students discuss.
4.) I think I would use ability grouping for reading groups, so the students could all be reading books at their reading level and having discussions at their level of understanding. I would use mixed-grouping in a lot of social studies activities where students with different backgrounds and thinking strategies can bring a wide range of ideas and perspectives to the discussion. Really, I think I would use a mix of both types of grouping for every subject area. In mixed groups, lower-ability students will feel more challenged and be able to learn more from a student who has a good understanding of the concept. Mixed groups also promote classroom unity and understanding between students of all abilities. In ability groups, higher-ability students can feel more cognitively stimulated by working with students who are at their same ability level, while the lower-ability students may feel more comfortable and willing to participate.
Wednesday, October 14, 2009
Just a quick note...
If anyone noticed, I changed my tour idea from the plan I posted last week. That is because I had to make an activity on plate tectonics and volcanoes for another class, so I decided to kill two birds with one stone. :)
GoogleEarth reflection
The GoogleEarth tours I looked at were Amy's Lit Tour through Pride and Prejudice, Nina's Tour of Dances of the World, and Megan's Lewis and Clark Tour.
After doing this assignment, I am a huge fan of GoogleEarth. This is way more fun than listening to a lecture or watching a Powerpoint. With GoogleEarth tours, you can incorporate pictures, videos, internet links, math with the measuring tool, and of course geography. I think students will love "traveling" to different places around the world...it makes it more real to them. If you wanted to make this an even more authentic experience, you could display the tour on an overhead projector so the whole class can do the tour together...then you could even bring food, music, and decorations of the culture that you are visiting. I can see students really having a blast with this. Also, because it is so interactive, I think students will remember the material better because they are doing it, seeing it, and often hearing it.
The biggest drawback I see to GoogleEarth is the time it takes to create a good tour. However, I feel like it's worth it for the creativity and variety you get out of it...I feel like the longer I did it, the more fun and meaningful activities I came up with. Plus, I got a lot better using GoogleEarth the longer I played around with it, so I think I would quickly become efficient using it. Plus, it's fun to do! I wouldn't use it ALL the time, because, like anything, it just wouldn't as cool after using it a ton of times. But using it several times a year would be very beneficial for learning.
After doing this assignment, I am a huge fan of GoogleEarth. This is way more fun than listening to a lecture or watching a Powerpoint. With GoogleEarth tours, you can incorporate pictures, videos, internet links, math with the measuring tool, and of course geography. I think students will love "traveling" to different places around the world...it makes it more real to them. If you wanted to make this an even more authentic experience, you could display the tour on an overhead projector so the whole class can do the tour together...then you could even bring food, music, and decorations of the culture that you are visiting. I can see students really having a blast with this. Also, because it is so interactive, I think students will remember the material better because they are doing it, seeing it, and often hearing it.
The biggest drawback I see to GoogleEarth is the time it takes to create a good tour. However, I feel like it's worth it for the creativity and variety you get out of it...I feel like the longer I did it, the more fun and meaningful activities I came up with. Plus, I got a lot better using GoogleEarth the longer I played around with it, so I think I would quickly become efficient using it. Plus, it's fun to do! I wouldn't use it ALL the time, because, like anything, it just wouldn't as cool after using it a ton of times. But using it several times a year would be very beneficial for learning.
Tuesday, October 13, 2009
Thursday, October 8, 2009
IP&T 301 Week 6
- When I was in first grade, I was spinning in the swing and the recess teacher made me sit on the bench for the rest of recess. My response was that I never spun in the swing again. :( At home, I learned that if I fought with my siblings, I got sent to my room.
- I remember getting to go out to lunch with my teacher for getting a high score on a certain number of spelling tests. I also remember getting little awards for good citizenship when I did something nice for another student in elementary school.
- I could see myself using interval schedules to teach wanted behavior. When a student is working on an assignment or working especially well with his classmates for a certain amount of time, I would definitely want to acknowledge that behavior with praise. I would definitely want to stick with a variable schedule so my students would not know when the praise is coming. That way, the praise will be more genuine and students will respond to it more.
- I believe that behaviorism contradicts the ultimate goal and purpose of our Father in Heaven. He wants us to use our agency and choose joy and charity and righteousness because of our love for Him and our desire to serve Him and our fellow man. He wants us to be motivated intrinsically—by what is truly in our hearts. However, this state of choosing righteousness for righteousness' sake is something that we all are working towards, and I also feel that our Heavenly Father uses His own type of "reinforcements" and "punishments" to point us toward that ultimate goal. For example, He will withdraw His Spirit when we sin (negative punishment) to teach us to repent and keep His commandments. That being said, I see a big difference between the Lord's use of reinforcement and punishment to the behaviorists. Heavenly Father more often than not uses feelings rather than concrete things to teach us. Also, He is using them to help us eventually choose righteousness because that is what we truly desire, not because we want to avoid punishment or receive blessings.
Tuesday, October 6, 2009
UEN standard: 5th grade social studies, Standard 1, Objective 1
I'm not really sure why I chose to do the colonization of America. It's something I've always been interested in, probably since I was Squanto in my fourth grade wax museum project. I think I was also inspired by the tour I watched on the Revolutionary War and wanted to go a little further back and more in depth about the 13 colonies and how they originated. Once I started reading more about it and thinking of the activities I could do, I realized how fun GoogleEarth would make this unit. The most interesting parts of history for me were always reading actual stories about the people and looking at pictures and really getting to imagine what it was like back then. GoogleEarth is a great way for students to really step into another place and literally see what the early settlers saw as they sailed into America for the first time.
I'm not really sure why I chose to do the colonization of America. It's something I've always been interested in, probably since I was Squanto in my fourth grade wax museum project. I think I was also inspired by the tour I watched on the Revolutionary War and wanted to go a little further back and more in depth about the 13 colonies and how they originated. Once I started reading more about it and thinking of the activities I could do, I realized how fun GoogleEarth would make this unit. The most interesting parts of history for me were always reading actual stories about the people and looking at pictures and really getting to imagine what it was like back then. GoogleEarth is a great way for students to really step into another place and literally see what the early settlers saw as they sailed into America for the first time.
Exploring the Founding of America!
| Location | Activity Description | Google Earth Content |
| 1.Jamestown | Imagine you are going to start a new colony. Think of 10 items and 5 people you would want to bring with you. Then read about the colony of Jamestown and the hardships they faced. Were they prepared? Would you have been prepared? | Link to http://www.historyisfun.org/History-Jamestown.htm |
| 2.Plymouth | Squanto learned English from traders in Maine. Use the GoogleEarth ruler to find out how far he traveled to get to Plymouth, Massachusetts. | GoogleEarth ruler Link to http://teacher.scholastic.com/researchtools/researchstarters/plymouth/ |
| 3.New York | Students will explore and read about the geographical features of New York city and brainstorm why it grew to such a prosperous city. | Link to http://pbskids.org/bigapplehistory/early/topic11.html |
| 4.Rhode Island | The settlers of Rhode Island had to leave Massachusetts for religious persecution. Use GoogleEarth ruler to determine how far they had to travel from Salem, MA to Providence, RI. Then write a journal entry on how you would feel having to leave your home for your beliefs. | GoogleEarth ruler Link to http://www.timepage.org/spl/13colony.html |
Thursday, October 1, 2009
IP&T 301 Week 5
1.) I am definitely planning to use a variety of teaching methods including role plays, demonstrations, writing activities, media use, etc to keep my students' attention engaged. I also plan to connect new information to what my students already know by assessing their background knowledge and experience. I feel that if I am not presenting information that is meaningful to my students in a way that keeps their attention, then I am not doing my job as a teacher.
2.) Low-road transfer: spontaneous, automatic transfer of highly-practiced skills. If I am baking for the first time and apply my knowledge of measuring a half cup of laundry detergent to measuring out a half cup of flour.
High-road transfer: Purposeful and conscious transfer of knowledge or skills from one situation to another. If I apply the lesson plan format I learned in my education class to preparing my Sunday school lesson in church.
3.) I think high-road transfer is uses most often to connect between subjects. For example, a common transfer occurs between math and science, such as using fractions when measuring chemicals in chemistry or incorporating physics principles like calculating velocity into a math lesson.
4.) I've used an algorithm to figure out the amount of ingredients I should use when I want to make 1 1/2 of a recipe. I've used a heuristic when I want to plan out how many credits I should take each semester to graduate on time.
2.) Low-road transfer: spontaneous, automatic transfer of highly-practiced skills. If I am baking for the first time and apply my knowledge of measuring a half cup of laundry detergent to measuring out a half cup of flour.
High-road transfer: Purposeful and conscious transfer of knowledge or skills from one situation to another. If I apply the lesson plan format I learned in my education class to preparing my Sunday school lesson in church.
3.) I think high-road transfer is uses most often to connect between subjects. For example, a common transfer occurs between math and science, such as using fractions when measuring chemicals in chemistry or incorporating physics principles like calculating velocity into a math lesson.
4.) I've used an algorithm to figure out the amount of ingredients I should use when I want to make 1 1/2 of a recipe. I've used a heuristic when I want to plan out how many credits I should take each semester to graduate on time.
Tuesday, September 29, 2009
Videos I've watched...
The videos I've watched are...
Kate's "The Scarlet Pimpernel"
Marissa's "Be Glad Your Nose is on Your Face"
Beth's "Strawberry Shortcake"
Nina's "It's Raining It's Pouring"
Amy's "Winning With Winnie"
Celecta's "Winnie the Pooh"
I think the hardest part of using video projects in the classroom would be the time investment. It would definitely take several hours to put together a whole video project, especially with younger kids. Plus, then showing the videos also takes time. I would want to make sure that the benefit of creating the video would be worth the time it would take to put into it. If it was for a final project or a presentation on something we had spent a lot of time discussing in class, I think the video would be a great way for kids to show what they've learned. But it would not be reasonable to make a video for every concept you teach because it would take up too much class time. I will definitely implement a video project at least once a semester though! I am convinced it will make learning fun and meaningful to my students!
Kate's "The Scarlet Pimpernel"
Marissa's "Be Glad Your Nose is on Your Face"
Beth's "Strawberry Shortcake"
Nina's "It's Raining It's Pouring"
Amy's "Winning With Winnie"
Celecta's "Winnie the Pooh"
I think the hardest part of using video projects in the classroom would be the time investment. It would definitely take several hours to put together a whole video project, especially with younger kids. Plus, then showing the videos also takes time. I would want to make sure that the benefit of creating the video would be worth the time it would take to put into it. If it was for a final project or a presentation on something we had spent a lot of time discussing in class, I think the video would be a great way for kids to show what they've learned. But it would not be reasonable to make a video for every concept you teach because it would take up too much class time. I will definitely implement a video project at least once a semester though! I am convinced it will make learning fun and meaningful to my students!
Thursday, September 24, 2009
1.) I would model positive emotional understanding, regulation, and empathy as I interact with my students and respond to their emotions. I would also make it a point to incorporate discussions about emotion into my lessons. For example, if we're reading Charlotte's Web, we could talk about how Wilbur felt when Fern took him to her uncle's. I would also provide opportunities for students to express emotions in a safe setting such as role-plays, storytelling, and other drama activities. These types of activities would also help students to consider others' feelings and emotions. Finally, when conflicts or other emotional situations arose in the classroom, I would take time to talk with students individually about how they handled the situation and how they could have reacted more positively.
2.) I see Gardner's theory as more useful as a teacher because it includes intrapersonal and interpersonal intelligences. While some people might not think it's a teacher's job to help students better understand themselves and the people around them, I believe a good teacher wants students to not only succeed academically, but to succeed in life. Gardner's theory seems to cover a person's whole capacity for learning, and not just the academic or problem-solving aspects.
3.) I really don't think IQ testing is very useful because it measures things other than cognitive ability (like reading skills and test-taking strategies), and they are only aimed at measuring a certain part of intelligence versus a person's whole learning potential. Also, because people grow and develop at different rates, assessing a person's ability at a certain point in time may not accurately predict future potential.
2.) I see Gardner's theory as more useful as a teacher because it includes intrapersonal and interpersonal intelligences. While some people might not think it's a teacher's job to help students better understand themselves and the people around them, I believe a good teacher wants students to not only succeed academically, but to succeed in life. Gardner's theory seems to cover a person's whole capacity for learning, and not just the academic or problem-solving aspects.
3.) I really don't think IQ testing is very useful because it measures things other than cognitive ability (like reading skills and test-taking strategies), and they are only aimed at measuring a certain part of intelligence versus a person's whole learning potential. Also, because people grow and develop at different rates, assessing a person's ability at a certain point in time may not accurately predict future potential.
Tuesday, September 22, 2009
Saturday, September 19, 2009
IP&T 287, Week 3
TPACK is important for teachers because the best teachers will have a thorough knowledge of the content of their subject, understand how to teach their subject, and also know how to effectively incorporate technology into their lessons. If a teacher only has skills in one or two of these areas, students will not have all of their learning needs met. Teachers who incorporate all three of these aspects into their teaching will be able to better meet the needs of their students and help them to reach their full potential.
Wednesday, September 16, 2009
IP&T 301 Week 3
1.) Some examples of formative assessment would be homework assignments, journal entries, and teacher observation. Examples of summative assessment would be written tests, projects, presentations, and portfolios. Formative assessments can be used as a summative assessment...for example a portfolio of students' homework and journal entries throughout the unit can be used as a summative assessment at the end of the unit.
2.) Standardized achievement tests assess students' current knowledge and understanding while aptitude tests assess students' capacity or potential to learn in the future. Both tests can be either criterion-referenced or norm-referenced.
3.) I don't think Alexandria should be too alarmed yet. While the scores may have fallen slightly from the previous year, like Mr. Whitney said, they are still within the average range. The school should definitely look into implementing some changes to help students achieve higher scores for the next year, but I don't think any radical changes are necessary just yet. If the trend continues and test scores get lower and lower, than there would be cause for concern.
4.) I feel like I understand how to interpret test scores now. This will help me as a teacher when I'm explaining test results to students, parents, and school administrators. It will also help me as a parent to not freak out when my child only scores in the 65th percentile or to brag that my 7-year-old has a 6th grade reading level because his GE score is 6.3. After reading Module 6, I more strongly support the use of frequent and varied assessment. I want to use many forms of informal, formal, and authentic assessment to better understand what my students know and to give them more opportunities to feel successful.
2.) Standardized achievement tests assess students' current knowledge and understanding while aptitude tests assess students' capacity or potential to learn in the future. Both tests can be either criterion-referenced or norm-referenced.
3.) I don't think Alexandria should be too alarmed yet. While the scores may have fallen slightly from the previous year, like Mr. Whitney said, they are still within the average range. The school should definitely look into implementing some changes to help students achieve higher scores for the next year, but I don't think any radical changes are necessary just yet. If the trend continues and test scores get lower and lower, than there would be cause for concern.
4.) I feel like I understand how to interpret test scores now. This will help me as a teacher when I'm explaining test results to students, parents, and school administrators. It will also help me as a parent to not freak out when my child only scores in the 65th percentile or to brag that my 7-year-old has a 6th grade reading level because his GE score is 6.3. After reading Module 6, I more strongly support the use of frequent and varied assessment. I want to use many forms of informal, formal, and authentic assessment to better understand what my students know and to give them more opportunities to feel successful.
Tuesday, September 15, 2009
Where do I even begin...pretty much every single thing I did on this assignment was new to me. I had created a webpage before in a high school computer class, but we barely spent any time on it and I didn't remember anything. While this assignment definitely took a lot of time (and a fair amount of frustration), I feel pretty confident that I could fairly quickly and effectively make a webpage, embed and attach links, and upload documents and pictures. By doing this assignment, I am starting to have my eyes opened to how useful and FUN this stuff can be. There are so many resources available online, and it is wonderful to know exactly how to access the endless possibilities and bring them into my classroom.
Thursday, September 10, 2009
IP&T 301 Week 2
1.) Bloom’s Taxonomy divides thinking into higher-order and lower-order levels. The six levels are 1.) Remembering 2.) Understanding 3.) Applying 4.) Analyzing 5.) Evaluating 6.) Creating.
2.) If a test is valid, it successfully measures what it is supposed to measure: if it is meant to test how well students can add fractions, the test should ask students to add different fractions. If a test is reliable, the test results are consistent. This means that if a student took the same test twice, the score should be the same. Tests must be valid because it allows teachers to see how well the students’ learned the material and/or how well the material was taught. Tests also need to be reliable so teachers can know that the test will accurately and consistently measure the knowledge and abilities of the students.
3.) Assessing the final draft of a research paper would be product performance assessment. Assessing the research strategies, brainstorming activities, rough drafts, as well as the final draft would be process performance assessment.
4.) Performance assessments can be evaluated using checklists (does the paper have a topic sentence?), rating scales (was the student’s research thorough and useful? Rate unsatisfactory, good, outstanding, etc), and rubrics (5 points for a creative title, 4 points for an appropriate title, etc).
5.) Even teachers that genuinely have their students’ best interests at heart can unknowingly be affected by assessment bias if they are not careful. I know that for myself, if I know that a student really tries hard to succeed, I would want to grade them more generously than a student who puts forth little effort, even if they obviously do not have a perfect understanding of the subject matter. Even if teachers try to be fair and unbiased, some of their assumptions and conceptions about their students will unintentionally affect their grading if they are not careful.
2.) If a test is valid, it successfully measures what it is supposed to measure: if it is meant to test how well students can add fractions, the test should ask students to add different fractions. If a test is reliable, the test results are consistent. This means that if a student took the same test twice, the score should be the same. Tests must be valid because it allows teachers to see how well the students’ learned the material and/or how well the material was taught. Tests also need to be reliable so teachers can know that the test will accurately and consistently measure the knowledge and abilities of the students.
3.) Assessing the final draft of a research paper would be product performance assessment. Assessing the research strategies, brainstorming activities, rough drafts, as well as the final draft would be process performance assessment.
4.) Performance assessments can be evaluated using checklists (does the paper have a topic sentence?), rating scales (was the student’s research thorough and useful? Rate unsatisfactory, good, outstanding, etc), and rubrics (5 points for a creative title, 4 points for an appropriate title, etc).
5.) Even teachers that genuinely have their students’ best interests at heart can unknowingly be affected by assessment bias if they are not careful. I know that for myself, if I know that a student really tries hard to succeed, I would want to grade them more generously than a student who puts forth little effort, even if they obviously do not have a perfect understanding of the subject matter. Even if teachers try to be fair and unbiased, some of their assumptions and conceptions about their students will unintentionally affect their grading if they are not careful.
Wednesday, September 2, 2009
Technology Background
I can't really remember a time when I didn't use a computer. As a little kid I remember playing these educational games on our home computer. Both of my parents are pretty good with technology—my dad works with computers in his profession as a high school teacher and my mom graduated from BYU with a minor in computer science—so I was always able to get help from them with technology problems and questions. I have always had a Macintosh computer at home and now have an Apple laptop, so I am most comfortable with Macs. I love using computers...browsing the web, emailing, facebook, organizing photos, etc. I don't consider myself super technologically savvy, but I feel pretty competent using computers for most of the basics.
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