11/6
I really enjoyed the video. It got me even more excited about the possibilities of what I can do in the classroom after I have completed the course. It really hit home with me because the students were 6th graders that were learning about ancient civilizations which is exactly what I teach.
The first article was right on with the fact that schools are not keeping up with the fast pace ever changing world of technology. If our students are going to be successful they will need to learn 21st century skills as well as the core subjects. I think we will be able to accomplish both once we have completed the coarse and set up our classrooms.
11/13
The Video proves just how connected people are, the world is, and our students need to be. More and more of peoples every day lives are being acted out through some type of electronic with a lot of that being a mobile device such as a cell phone or an ipod. Our students need to learn to access information as well as communicate through these devices.
I agree with the article that kids should have a say or a voice in how they learn. I try as hard as I can to keep the class from being boring. I do not agree with the idea that students should choose what they learn. I feel the most difficult thing in determining what students learn is that we are trying to prepare kids for a future that we have no idea what it will look like or what skills they will need.
11/20
The video states students learn differently which is one of the most important ideas I follow when preparing my lessons. I think every teacher attempts to reach all the different styles of learners. Technology could give us the moat effective way of reaching the most learners at one time.
I agree with and try to utilize the constructivist classroom with the idea of the students taking a larger role in what and how they learn as well as making learnung more interactive. Again, this is how I can see the use of computers and tools such as wiki and google sites as being a great way to have the students interact with what they are learning. I do we still need to use the traditional approach because of standardized tests. The students still take the test on paper and test taking skills are important. I feel it would be more benificial to the students if they were able to take the same test but on a computer.
I enjoyed putting the student needs assessment together and am looking forward to the results. I hope it will give me a better understanding of what the students want and need in the classroomn as well as how to present the material to them.
11/27
Students need to learn cooperation, competition, and colaboration as a way of learning but also for life skills. I like the idea of students learning from students while working in groups. Students are able to present material differently than the teachers and have thoughts and ideas that the teacher may not have thought of.
Students as well as teachers need to learn which tools are the most appropriate and benificial for what they are trying to accomplish. Students also need to learn ethics when doing research so that they plagiarize.
I think one of the most important ways students can use technology is in doing research then using the technology to present their research.
Students need to learn to use their time wisely and effectively when working with technology. There is so much information out there. They need to decipher what is relivant to their research.
12/3
The video ties in with the fact that we are going to integrate technology into the classroom.This grant will give the students as well as the teachers unlimited amounts of resources. With integrating technology will will raise students curiosity as well as engage and excite them to solve problems.
I agree with the idea that you can use technology and multimedia projects to show creativity and an understanding of knowledge. I have my students make i movies, pod casts, and power points. These projects replace tests in many cases and I have found the students they show a better understanding of the material and have more fun doing it.
I understand why teachers feel the need to go back to the basics for NCLB. I feel it is a comfort level more than anything else. We need to think about the big picture which is the students needs for the future. We as educators need to step outside the box and not be affraid to learn and try new things.
1/1
The school from Key Largo truly thinks outside the box. I love the idea that the children are learning different careers each year they are in school. I see a big problem with our administration and district being willing to think that far outside the box. I agree with and try to incorporate as much project based learning as I can. It is difficult to get away from the textbook because I am more comfortable using it. I like the idea of inquiry learning and forcing the students to be self thinkers and not just be given information. A problem I see in our district is that it is very transient. It is centered around prior knowledge and our students are always coming and going. I am a big fan of the digital stories. I think this is a tool that I can use with my social studies classes to retell history in my students own words. This is a tool I am going to try to use this year.
1/8
Two benefits I see using project based learning are communication and collaboration. These are vital skills for every day life and in any career they choose. Another benefit I see when using this type of learning is you get to see who the leaders are. I think leadership is a skill that is often overlooked in education. A problem I run into is with groups of mixed ability. Often stronger students end up doing the bulk of the work while a students who typically struggles takes a back seat. My classes are inclusion classes and the students vary greatly in ability. I also have a difficult time in assessing the students.
1/15
Differentiated instruction is right up my alley. Because my classes are inclussion classes I am constantly looking at ways to modify or adjust each lesson to include every student. The podcast mentioned putting books on tape. This is something I try to do whenever possible. Another thing I liked was the idea of altering what I call the assessment at the end of a unit or chapter. I always try to incorporate some sort of technology project such as an imovie, pod cast, glog, or power point. The thing that is difficult about differentiated instruction is that it is very time consuming. It is hard to find time to find all the resources, make copies, set up centers, and organize groups.
1/29
TPAC
I agree with the video when it describes many aspects of teaching as "messy". Tpac is a great idea and one that I try to incorporate into my lessons and in my classroom. I feel confident with the pedagogical, content, and knowledge portions of TPAC. I do however find it a challenge at times incorporating the technology. I am never sure which application or tool will best fit the lesson or best transfer the content to the students. It also seems that I am teaching a lesson twice. One lesson on how to use the technology and one for the content. Another problem I see is that our district is very data driven and there is not much data to support TPAC. I feel that this is due to the fact that TPAC is so new and in time there will be more data to support TPAC in the classroom. I did find Plato's quote on text as being more less an evil and that memorization and internalizing learning was far more important. All you hear today is that any lesson that involves memorization like spelling lists is far less benifical.
Journal Entries:
11/6
I really enjoyed the video. It got me even more excited about the possibilities of what I can do in the classroom after I have completed the course. It really hit home with me because the students were 6th graders that were learning about ancient civilizations which is exactly what I teach.
The first article was right on with the fact that schools are not keeping up with the fast pace ever changing world of technology. If our students are going to be successful they will need to learn 21st century skills as well as the core subjects. I think we will be able to accomplish both once we have completed the coarse and set up our classrooms.
11/13
The Video proves just how connected people are, the world is, and our students need to be. More and more of peoples every day lives are being acted out through some type of electronic with a lot of that being a mobile device such as a cell phone or an ipod. Our students need to learn to access information as well as communicate through these devices.
I agree with the article that kids should have a say or a voice in how they learn. I try as hard as I can to keep the class from being boring. I do not agree with the idea that students should choose what they learn. I feel the most difficult thing in determining what students learn is that we are trying to prepare kids for a future that we have no idea what it will look like or what skills they will need.
11/20
The video states students learn differently which is one of the most important ideas I follow when preparing my lessons. I think every teacher attempts to reach all the different styles of learners. Technology could give us the moat effective way of reaching the most learners at one time.
I agree with and try to utilize the constructivist classroom with the idea of the students taking a larger role in what and how they learn as well as making learnung more interactive. Again, this is how I can see the use of computers and tools such as wiki and google sites as being a great way to have the students interact with what they are learning. I do we still need to use the traditional approach because of standardized tests. The students still take the test on paper and test taking skills are important. I feel it would be more benificial to the students if they were able to take the same test but on a computer.
I enjoyed putting the student needs assessment together and am looking forward to the results. I hope it will give me a better understanding of what the students want and need in the classroomn as well as how to present the material to them.
11/27
Students need to learn cooperation, competition, and colaboration as a way of learning but also for life skills. I like the idea of students learning from students while working in groups. Students are able to present material differently than the teachers and have thoughts and ideas that the teacher may not have thought of.
Students as well as teachers need to learn which tools are the most appropriate and benificial for what they are trying to accomplish. Students also need to learn ethics when doing research so that they plagiarize.
I think one of the most important ways students can use technology is in doing research then using the technology to present their research.
Students need to learn to use their time wisely and effectively when working with technology. There is so much information out there. They need to decipher what is relivant to their research.
12/3
The video ties in with the fact that we are going to integrate technology into the classroom.This grant will give the students as well as the teachers unlimited amounts of resources. With integrating technology will will raise students curiosity as well as engage and excite them to solve problems.
I agree with the idea that you can use technology and multimedia projects to show creativity and an understanding of knowledge. I have my students make i movies, pod casts, and power points. These projects replace tests in many cases and I have found the students they show a better understanding of the material and have more fun doing it.
I understand why teachers feel the need to go back to the basics for NCLB. I feel it is a comfort level more than anything else. We need to think about the big picture which is the students needs for the future. We as educators need to step outside the box and not be affraid to learn and try new things.
1/1
The school from Key Largo truly thinks outside the box. I love the idea that the children are learning different careers each year they are in school. I see a big problem with our administration and district being willing to think that far outside the box. I agree with and try to incorporate as much project based learning as I can. It is difficult to get away from the textbook because I am more comfortable using it. I like the idea of inquiry learning and forcing the students to be self thinkers and not just be given information. A problem I see in our district is that it is very transient. It is centered around prior knowledge and our students are always coming and going. I am a big fan of the digital stories. I think this is a tool that I can use with my social studies classes to retell history in my students own words. This is a tool I am going to try to use this year.
1/8
Two benefits I see using project based learning are communication and collaboration. These are vital skills for every day life and in any career they choose. Another benefit I see when using this type of learning is you get to see who the leaders are. I think leadership is a skill that is often overlooked in education. A problem I run into is with groups of mixed ability. Often stronger students end up doing the bulk of the work while a students who typically struggles takes a back seat. My classes are inclusion classes and the students vary greatly in ability. I also have a difficult time in assessing the students.
1/15
Differentiated instruction is right up my alley. Because my classes are inclussion classes I am constantly looking at ways to modify or adjust each lesson to include every student. The podcast mentioned putting books on tape. This is something I try to do whenever possible. Another thing I liked was the idea of altering what I call the assessment at the end of a unit or chapter. I always try to incorporate some sort of technology project such as an imovie, pod cast, glog, or power point. The thing that is difficult about differentiated instruction is that it is very time consuming. It is hard to find time to find all the resources, make copies, set up centers, and organize groups.
1/29
TPAC
I agree with the video when it describes many aspects of teaching as "messy". Tpac is a great idea and one that I try to incorporate into my lessons and in my classroom. I feel confident with the pedagogical, content, and knowledge portions of TPAC. I do however find it a challenge at times incorporating the technology. I am never sure which application or tool will best fit the lesson or best transfer the content to the students. It also seems that I am teaching a lesson twice. One lesson on how to use the technology and one for the content. Another problem I see is that our district is very data driven and there is not much data to support TPAC. I feel that this is due to the fact that TPAC is so new and in time there will be more data to support TPAC in the classroom. I did find Plato's quote on text as being more less an evil and that memorization and internalizing learning was far more important. All you hear today is that any lesson that involves memorization like spelling lists is far less benifical.