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
“iStopMotion.” Boinx Software. Retrieved from
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.
iStopMotion is also a teamwork orienited tool that can be used in a classroom like Trebuchet Simulator, which I chose. I said the same thing about teachers being designers everyday.
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