Post 11.23.10

Blog Posting…………..11/23/2010

When and how do teachers act as designers?

          Teachers act as designers each and every day they stand in from of their students.  They must design the lesson that they are delivering to their students.  They must decide what goal they are trying to reach, they must design steps, activities, and projects to reach the goal.  They must motivate the students to reach the goal.  Finally, they must teach their students ways to “design” their study habits in order to be successful in reaching their goals.

Select one of the following and explain how it can be used in classroom:  SketchUp, Trebuchet Simulator, Model Car Design, Scratch, iStopMotion, Impromptu.

          iStopMotion as received very positive feedback from educators.  “It teaches soft skills such as teamwork, structural thinking, planning and provides immediate satisfaction (Boinx).”  iStopMotion can be used by students in classrooms to let them show what they have learned about whatever they are studying.  For examples, if students are studying gravity in science they could make a movie showing the effects of gravity like Sir Isaac Newton did in his paper about falling apples.  This would create excitement for the students, and  it would also create memories to help the students retain their knowledge of gravity.

Explain “Digital Storytelling by Kate Kemker.”  What do you think it would work in your classroom?

          Digital storytelling could be very educational in most classrooms providing that it is used correctly.  Since I plan on coaching its benefits for me would be somewhat limited; however, I could use it in some ways.  I could have students make a “story” of making and missing freethrows in a basketball game.  They could then study their story to see what they did each time they made the point.  Hopefully this would transfer to consistently correct shooting from the freethrow line.

Mathematics is one of the most abstract subject-matter domains.  Helping students to visualize mathematical concepts is very useful in helping students make math real.  What other methods suggested in the textbook will also help make math more real to students?

          Mathematics is very abstract, and today one of the easiest tools to use to help students “see” concepts is the graphing calculator.  The graphing feature allows students to immediately see the difference between linear and quadratic functions.  Also, computer software such as the programs described in our text allows students to easily draw and manipulate figures so they can visualize what happens when the change data within the problem.  One of the relatively new things used in math classes is Algebra Tiles.  Before long these will be used in an electronic format, and students can have access to them anywhere they have internet capabilities.

Is it possible to learn from TV alone?—that is, learn how to do something merely from watching TV instruction?

          The answer to this question is yes and no.  I believe that it is possible to learn something from watching a TV program or video, but you must get the tools and practice.  Take for instance “Step Aerobics”.  Would I learn to do “Step Aerobics” just by watching?  Probably not, but if I got a step and attempted to do the routines along with the TV then I would probably learn something.  Also I know a friend that learned to do calligraphy from watching a program on PBS.  She watched a couple of program, and it caught her interest.  So she bought the necessary pens and practice along with the program until she could do calligraphy.  Watching alone does not teach you, but it does give you ideas and instructions so that if you try and practice something you will be able to do it.  I also believe that you can learn facts from watching educational programming.  For instance I would have never known that polar bears are not born white if I had not watch a National Geographic program on polar bears.

References

“Charting a course for technology in florida by dr. kate kemker #pbtechconf.”

          Moving at the Speed of Creativity.  Retrieved from

          http://www.speedofcreativity.org/2010/03/26/charting-a-course-for

          technology-in-florida-by-dr-kate-kemker-pbtechconf.

“iStopMotion.” Boinx Software.  Retrieved from

          http://boinx.com/istopmotion/overview.

Jonassen, D., Howland, J., Marra, R.M., & Crissmond, D.  (2008).  Meaningful

          learning with technology.

Kemker, K.  “Creating desktop movies in education: diffusing the innovation.” 

          Retrieved from http://www.coedu.usf.edu/itphdsem/eme7938/kk800.pdf.

Week 11 Blog--Gee's Principles

          As I’ve mentioned before I plan on being a coach and of all of James Paul Gee’s Learning Principles I think the following three would be the most useful to my students:  (1) Active, Critical Learning Principle, (6) “Psychosocial Moratorium” Principle, and (12) Practice Principle.  The first one, Active, Critical Learning Principle, is important because to learn to do a sport the learner must be an active participant.  I can watch all the video on shooting a basketball, read all the books, and watch all the games on TV, but until I get out and practice and learn the moves I am not going to be able to play the game.  Similarly a child can watch a teacher add numbers, but until he experiences it for himself he has not learned the skill.  So being an active participant is the learning process is very important.  The second principle I chose was the “Psychosocial Moratorium” Principle.  This one will be very important in my field because not everyone will be able to perform the skills at the beginning.  I must build an atmosphere where the students can feel free to experiment, fail, and still keep trying without losing their self-confidence.  Michael Jordan once said, “You miss 100% of the shots you don’t take.”  This is true of students, if they are not willing to try new things and be confident that succeed or fail they can still learn then teachers are not doing their jobs.  The third principle that I selected as being important was the Practice Principle.  It is very important for an athlete to be able to do things automatically without having to think too much, so practice is imperative to being a successful athlete.  As a coach I must show my athletes the importance of practice and teach them that to be successful they must practice correctly.

          The activity that I would simulate is teaching children to shoot a free throw in basketball.  First I would show them videos of some of the game’s best free throw shooters like Chris Mullen, Mark Price, and J.J. Reddick.  I would then take them to the gym and break down the moves and let them practice each move individually.  Last be not least I would have them practice, practice, and practice some more.  I would have some competitive games that would keep practice interesting and try to not harp on the students who were having a hard time.  I would teach the students that shooting free throws is very important, but not everyone has an easy time of it.  I have the students encouraging each other and make the games based on teams and not individuals so that a student that is having a hard time would not necessarily lose.  The more fun I could make practicing free throws the more successful my players would be.

          I think Mr. Gee’s principles are very valid.  In my educational psychology class I’ve learned that the most important thing in teaching a child is to make it interesting and to get their attention and hold it.  If teachers use Mr. Gee’s principles and make learning enjoyable then I think they would be successful

References

Jonassen, D., Howland, J., Marra, R.M., & Crissmond, D.  (2008).  Meaningful learning with

          technology. Upper Saddle River, NJ:  Merrill-Prentiss Hall.

Learning principles.  Retrieved from http://mason.gmu.edu/~lsmith/jamespaulgee2print.html.

Mallard, T., & Ahmed, S.  (2008, March 19).  Gee’s principles.  Retrieved from

          http://www.newman.ac.uk/Students_websites/~t.mallard/theories.htm.