"Meanwhile, children who play video games develop sophisticated problem-solving and communication skills in virtual worlds beyond the experience of many parents. One way to bridge the gap is to extend the idea of reading with your children to playing with your children. Pick up the controller and take Madden 2005 or Pokemon for a ride; let your children teach you how to play, raise critical questions about strategies and the purpose of game-play." (page 123)
This quote brings me back to childhood and the Nintendo 64. It was the first game system that my family had gotten and it was quite a big deal. I remember always asking for my mom to play with us. My dad always worked long days so it was mom who was always around. We would constantly ask her to play and she always told us that the graphics hurt her eyes if she was in front of the game to long. I believe there was some truth to that, but that it was also used as an excuse. We would watch us play for a little bit but then leave the room once her eyes started to hurt. I was always disappointed that she never tried to play with us, even when we got a Game Cube and the graphics were better she still wouldn't play with us. That is why I like this quote since it is telling parents they should play video games with their children. Not only will they be spending time with their children but they will also get to see the content that is in these video games. If parents really knew what kinds of games they are buying for their children I think that they would be in for a surprise as to how much violence can be in a game.
"Often children cannot find others locally who share their passions, but the reach of the Internet would allow them to go beyond their neighborhood and school to find like-minded children." (page 123)
I think that it is a good idea for children to find groups on the internet that share their same passions. I grew up in a neighborhood where the only neighbors my age moved away when I was in first grade. So I know what it is like to not have any one your age to talk to. I think that I could have benefited from an online interest group with kids my age. However, I do question the security of these groups and how would you know if there was a child predator that belonged to the group or not. So definitely there needs to be parent supervision.
"A common concern expressed by parents and teachers is that time online equals more time that kids aren't reading books." (page 124)
I agree with this quote in that children are spending less time reading books these days and instead spending it glued to their phones and social networking sites. If parents and teachers want to do anything about this then they need to encourage reading especially parents at home. Perhaps all of these new e-readers could help kids want to read more since they are using a type of technology to read with. I also think that reading just doesn't appeal to kids these days either. I know growing up the last thing I wanted to do was read just because there were other things calling my name, it wasn't that I didn't like to read. If parents really want their kids to read a lot then they need to start young and encourage them to read daily.
Sunday, November 25, 2012
Chapter 8 Reflection-Rethinking Education
"Kids today spend over 6 hours per day interaction with television, video games, the Internet, instant messaging, email, and other media." (page 113)
I would like to know why parents are letting their children spend that much time on some type of technology. What ever happened to playing out side with your friends or using your imagination while making a fort in the basement. If a child gets home from school between 3:15-5:30pm and are then spending 6 or more hours at night with some sort of technology, that means that they are not getting to bed till some time after 9:30pm or later. Children need their sleep and if they don't get any sleep because they are up playing video games or instant messaging all night long then they are going to most likely fall asleep during school the next day. Parents who let their child(ren) do this need to realize what they are doing and start setting a time limit that the child can play video games, watch TV, use the computer, etc. Parents should make sure homework is getting done first before anything else and then limiting the time limit some of the activities that child is going to do that night. Teachers are doing their best, but they can help the child learn even more when the parents are reinforcing good study habits at home.
"One curriculum design that we favor is using technology to help students focus their learning around their goals and interests. Such schools would place students in curricula based on their goals and interest, rather than on their ages or on the prevailing curriculum of their schools." (page 117)
I had never heard of this design till I read this book. I think that this design would be appropriate for high school and maybe middle school. I still think that elementary school should be taught the same way with students grouped by their age groups. I think this would be great for students in high school who know what they want to do and those who do not know what they want to do later in life. Those who know what career they would like to go into would be able to jump start their college career by possibly taking AP courses during their high school career. I also see this being beneficial to those who don't know what they want to do for a career, as they could pick a couple areas that they are interested in and take a sampling of those courses that would give them an idea of what kind of career they could choose from. I don't think that this design would be seen in public schools nation wide, I think that it would be seen in specialty schools.
"Outside the realm of standards-based subject matter, games can also help students develop interpersonal and leadership skills. Massively multi-player online games, such as World of Warcraft, allow players to solve complex problems involving strategy, logistics, and resource allocation." (page 119)
This quote shows that these games kids play can actually be teaching them something. There are many games that allow kids to play as a character and they are able to make friends with other characters and some of these friendships spread to real life. It is just not a good idea for parents to let their child play World of Warcraft or any other video game for a whole entire Saturday. Children still need to be active and need to use other parts of their brain and body for activities other than playing video games. Everything is good for you in moderation.
I would like to know why parents are letting their children spend that much time on some type of technology. What ever happened to playing out side with your friends or using your imagination while making a fort in the basement. If a child gets home from school between 3:15-5:30pm and are then spending 6 or more hours at night with some sort of technology, that means that they are not getting to bed till some time after 9:30pm or later. Children need their sleep and if they don't get any sleep because they are up playing video games or instant messaging all night long then they are going to most likely fall asleep during school the next day. Parents who let their child(ren) do this need to realize what they are doing and start setting a time limit that the child can play video games, watch TV, use the computer, etc. Parents should make sure homework is getting done first before anything else and then limiting the time limit some of the activities that child is going to do that night. Teachers are doing their best, but they can help the child learn even more when the parents are reinforcing good study habits at home.
"One curriculum design that we favor is using technology to help students focus their learning around their goals and interests. Such schools would place students in curricula based on their goals and interest, rather than on their ages or on the prevailing curriculum of their schools." (page 117)
I had never heard of this design till I read this book. I think that this design would be appropriate for high school and maybe middle school. I still think that elementary school should be taught the same way with students grouped by their age groups. I think this would be great for students in high school who know what they want to do and those who do not know what they want to do later in life. Those who know what career they would like to go into would be able to jump start their college career by possibly taking AP courses during their high school career. I also see this being beneficial to those who don't know what they want to do for a career, as they could pick a couple areas that they are interested in and take a sampling of those courses that would give them an idea of what kind of career they could choose from. I don't think that this design would be seen in public schools nation wide, I think that it would be seen in specialty schools.
"Outside the realm of standards-based subject matter, games can also help students develop interpersonal and leadership skills. Massively multi-player online games, such as World of Warcraft, allow players to solve complex problems involving strategy, logistics, and resource allocation." (page 119)
This quote shows that these games kids play can actually be teaching them something. There are many games that allow kids to play as a character and they are able to make friends with other characters and some of these friendships spread to real life. It is just not a good idea for parents to let their child play World of Warcraft or any other video game for a whole entire Saturday. Children still need to be active and need to use other parts of their brain and body for activities other than playing video games. Everything is good for you in moderation.
Monday, November 19, 2012
Exit Slip 11-19
The new thinking that I took away from this class was that online educational games are replacing the worksheets in todays classroom. I think this is a good thing as kids will be more engaged with the games and the games will also help to hold the students attention more.
Online Educational Gaming Activity
http://www.ixl.com/-Place values: Convert between standard and expanded form
1. It
does not say exactly who created it.
2. “IXL Learning was founded in 1998 to advance
education through Web-based technologies. We create transformative products
with an impact that makes them instant classroom essentials.”
3. The games are easy to navigate and are engaging.
There aren’t a lot of graphics so this game would be better for middle
schoolers.
4. The games aren’t super fun, there is no extra story
line to them, and so the students may get bored easily.
5. 3.B.a.1 Recognize and apply place-value
concepts to whole numbers less than 1,0003.B.a.2 Read, write, and represent
numbers using words, numerals, pictures (e.g. base-ten blocks), number lines, ,
arrays, expanded forms (24=20+4) and symbolic renaming e.g., 24=30-6.
6. It
was easy to find the site.
7. I
did not see anywhere to change the language on the website.
8. I think that students could work on the same part of the
math in similar form by going to a grade or two below theirs.
1. Arcademic Skill Builders
2. "Our
philosophy is inspired by the intense engagement arcade and video games foster
between the player and the game. The Arcademic goal is to make aspects of
classroom instruction as effective in creating persistence and involvement as
observed in video game players. "
3. It is very easy to use and all the
games are catagorized but the subject. All the subjects are on the first page
and you can pick which one you would like to play. The graphics are great and
there is a lot of color to ge the kids interested in playing.
4. The games are a lot of fun, they incorperate a real
life factor such as racing into learning division.
5. Language: K.L.4 & Math: 3.OA.3
6. It was really easy to find it was
the second one that popped up in Google.
7. ELL component to find within the
websites?
8. No
1. "Family
Education Network, a part of Pearson, the education, services and technology
company."
2. "Funbrain,
created for kids ages preschool through grade 8, offers more than 100 fun,
interactive games that develop skills in math, reading, and literacy." "Funbrain's games help students build on what
they have learned in class and acquire new skills in reading, math, and problem
solving."
3. Yes this is very easy to use and it
is graphically appealing. It is very colorful and there are over 100 games to
choose from. There are many different catagories and subjects to choose from.
4. I chose to play Math Baseball on the
Fun Brain website and it was a lot of fun to play. I think that boys would be
most intersted in it because every time they get an addition problem correct
they get a run. Every tiem they get one wrong they get an out and when they
have reached three outs the game is over,
5. Language and Literacy: 1RL3 & Math: 1.OA.1
6. I was extremly easy to find this site, all I did was
type "Educational online games" and it was the first on that popped
up.
7. No, the website does not contain an ELL component.
8. RTI & DI-the student can just play the same type
of game a grade level down.
1. Learning Games for Kids
2. For educational use.
3. Yes, very easy and engaging.
4. This game is like pacman so I think it will be fun for students to play.
5. 2nd grade Math 2.OA.1, 2.NBT.5, 2.OA.2
6. Easy
7. I cannot find an ELL component to this website.
8. Students could go down a grade level.
2. For educational use.
3. Yes, very easy and engaging.
4. This game is like pacman so I think it will be fun for students to play.
5. 2nd grade Math 2.OA.1, 2.NBT.5, 2.OA.2
6. Easy
7. I cannot find an ELL component to this website.
8. Students could go down a grade level.
1. PBS (Public
Broadcasting Service) Published by Tribal Nova
2. To help students learn in a different way.
3. It is easy to navigate and the games and activities look engaging.
4. The games are fun and exciting.
5. Language Arts: 2.RFS.3, 2.RFS.4 & Math: 2. OA.
6. Very easy to find.
7. I cannot find the ELL component of the website.
8. Students could just go up or down a grade level.
2. To help students learn in a different way.
3. It is easy to navigate and the games and activities look engaging.
4. The games are fun and exciting.
5. Language Arts: 2.RFS.3, 2.RFS.4 & Math: 2. OA.
6. Very easy to find.
7. I cannot find the ELL component of the website.
8. Students could just go up or down a grade level.
PSA Reflection
We put a lot of effort into planning and producing our PSA. After brain storming we finally decided to do a PSA on texting and driving. We decided to use a stop motion to communicate our PSA. After we finally got our props for the PSA done we began taking pictures. Taking pictures was easy and then came the task of uploading them. We had close to 100 pictures so it took a little bit to upload. We used Widows Movie Maker to make our stop motion for our PSA. It took us a while to figure out how to use windows movie maker, but once we got the hang of it, it was easy to finish up.
I have made a stop motion before in high school, so I know how time consuming it can be, especially if you end up taking a lot of pictures. I think that using stop motion is a good way to complete different projects in the classroom. By having students do a PSA it gets them thinking about things that can impact the class and the community.
Sunday, November 18, 2012
Chapter 7 Reflection-Rethiking Education
"One of the most serious issues that a diminution of the role of public school portends is the problem of equity of access to learning. We see this concern in the discussion of the "digital divide": i.e., the difference in access to computers and the web between rich and poor, and white and non-white people." (page 106)
Teachers need to be constantly aware that some of their students may not have access to the Internet at home or they could have a computer that is really old so it takes a long time to load or do anything on the computer. So unless the school is issuing laptops, students may not be able to work on assignments at home and may need class time instead to work on the computers at school. Using class time would take away time from other subjects then, but in order to be fair to all students, they need to be given class time to work on their assignment. I know what it is like to be a student and not have a computer to use to complete my projects with. I was in 5th grade when my family got out first computer. So when I had assignments that were suppose to be typed up I had to find a way to do that. I went over to a friends house a couple of times to use her computer, but otherwise I had to use my moms old typewriter from college. I bet there are very few of my classmates that can say they used a typewriter but I did and it was not fun when I made a mistake as I had to use white out and hand write my correction. I understand what it is like to not have the materials necessary to complete a project. I feel that this experience will help me in my future classroom by not assuming that every students has the materials necessary to do an assignment, especially one that involves a computer, so I will make sure that materials are provided for the class or that there is adequate class time to complete the assignment with the supplies at school.
"One of the most powerful promises offered by technology is that learning will become more engaging. Education will be more toward what people want to learn, and hence, they will be more excited and drawn to learning." (page 109)
I think that students will be excited about using different forms of technology in the classroom at first, but then they will get bored with it, just like anything else. What about students who are all ready up to date on the newest technology, having an ipad that is given to them by the school to use won't faze them especially if it is an older model than the one they have. School is always going to be school no matter what kind of technology it has. There are always going to be the students who like school and the students who don't like school. I also think that a lot of distraction is going to come from some of the technology that is used in the classrooms. If kids have access to ipads or are allowed to use their cellphones during class they are going to and will get distracted. Laptops are also a good way for students to get distracted as they can have multiple tabs open during class and just switch back and fourth between the website they are suppose to be on and the website they want to be on such as Facebook, or a gaming website.
"Technology also can make it possible to access knowledge anytime, anywhere, through the web." (page 110)
This is great for students as they can easily look up word on an online dictionary or they can look up information to anything that they are interested in. However, this can also be bad as it means students can easily send answers to each other over email or chat and they can also look up answers on the Internet to their homework. Parents need to monitor what goes on at home and what their students are doing on the computer. The teacher can only instruct the students so much as to what is appropriate to do on the Internet when it comes to homework.
Teachers need to be constantly aware that some of their students may not have access to the Internet at home or they could have a computer that is really old so it takes a long time to load or do anything on the computer. So unless the school is issuing laptops, students may not be able to work on assignments at home and may need class time instead to work on the computers at school. Using class time would take away time from other subjects then, but in order to be fair to all students, they need to be given class time to work on their assignment. I know what it is like to be a student and not have a computer to use to complete my projects with. I was in 5th grade when my family got out first computer. So when I had assignments that were suppose to be typed up I had to find a way to do that. I went over to a friends house a couple of times to use her computer, but otherwise I had to use my moms old typewriter from college. I bet there are very few of my classmates that can say they used a typewriter but I did and it was not fun when I made a mistake as I had to use white out and hand write my correction. I understand what it is like to not have the materials necessary to complete a project. I feel that this experience will help me in my future classroom by not assuming that every students has the materials necessary to do an assignment, especially one that involves a computer, so I will make sure that materials are provided for the class or that there is adequate class time to complete the assignment with the supplies at school.
"One of the most powerful promises offered by technology is that learning will become more engaging. Education will be more toward what people want to learn, and hence, they will be more excited and drawn to learning." (page 109)
I think that students will be excited about using different forms of technology in the classroom at first, but then they will get bored with it, just like anything else. What about students who are all ready up to date on the newest technology, having an ipad that is given to them by the school to use won't faze them especially if it is an older model than the one they have. School is always going to be school no matter what kind of technology it has. There are always going to be the students who like school and the students who don't like school. I also think that a lot of distraction is going to come from some of the technology that is used in the classrooms. If kids have access to ipads or are allowed to use their cellphones during class they are going to and will get distracted. Laptops are also a good way for students to get distracted as they can have multiple tabs open during class and just switch back and fourth between the website they are suppose to be on and the website they want to be on such as Facebook, or a gaming website.
"Technology also can make it possible to access knowledge anytime, anywhere, through the web." (page 110)
This is great for students as they can easily look up word on an online dictionary or they can look up information to anything that they are interested in. However, this can also be bad as it means students can easily send answers to each other over email or chat and they can also look up answers on the Internet to their homework. Parents need to monitor what goes on at home and what their students are doing on the computer. The teacher can only instruct the students so much as to what is appropriate to do on the Internet when it comes to homework.
Chapter 6 Reflection-Rethinking Education
"We are now entering the lifelong-learning era of education, having experienced the apprenticeship and universal-schooling eras." (page 91)
I never knew that there were three different eras in education. I like the lifelong-learning era that we are in now. I think that it is a good thing for everyone to constantly be learning even after their school years are behind them. There are many older people now a days that are continuing to go to school in their 60s and above. Many say that it helps to keep them on their feet. I also think that its great that we have moved onto the era where students can pick what they want to do in life and are no longer limited to what their parent did for a living. It has also allowed for men and females to switch the roles around in the job world.
"After the Industrial Revolution, one of the main arguments that Horace Mann made was that education could bring everyone up to a common, high level of success." (page 93)
I agree with this quote that education can help to change the level of success that you grew up in. Every child has the chance to move up in the social class through education. Some children will have an easier time at moving up than others, but they all have the chance to. Even though you can move up, you usually end up making around the same amount of money that your parents make. So even though children don't have to follow in their parents foots steps job wise, they will usually stay in the same economic bracket as their parents.
"With the advent of universal schooling, children and their teachers only meet one another on the first day of class. They are strangers at the outset. Though many teachers develop bonds with their students they do not have the time parents have to develop a deep understanding of their students' personal needs and abilities." (page 102)
This quote shows how important it is for teachers to also form a good relationship with their student's parents. Parents can provide the needed insight as to why a child may be acting out so, which could be from a new baby being born and all of the attention going to the baby and not the older sibling Parents can also alert teachers about circumstances that could cause a child to be upset or with drawn from the class; a pet or close relative dying could be affecting the behavior. It is also extremely important for teachers to be in contact with the parents of children of special needs. These parents can give so much helpful information to the teacher since they know everything about their child. Teachers need to do their best to form positive bonds with all the parents of their students.
I never knew that there were three different eras in education. I like the lifelong-learning era that we are in now. I think that it is a good thing for everyone to constantly be learning even after their school years are behind them. There are many older people now a days that are continuing to go to school in their 60s and above. Many say that it helps to keep them on their feet. I also think that its great that we have moved onto the era where students can pick what they want to do in life and are no longer limited to what their parent did for a living. It has also allowed for men and females to switch the roles around in the job world.
"After the Industrial Revolution, one of the main arguments that Horace Mann made was that education could bring everyone up to a common, high level of success." (page 93)
I agree with this quote that education can help to change the level of success that you grew up in. Every child has the chance to move up in the social class through education. Some children will have an easier time at moving up than others, but they all have the chance to. Even though you can move up, you usually end up making around the same amount of money that your parents make. So even though children don't have to follow in their parents foots steps job wise, they will usually stay in the same economic bracket as their parents.
"With the advent of universal schooling, children and their teachers only meet one another on the first day of class. They are strangers at the outset. Though many teachers develop bonds with their students they do not have the time parents have to develop a deep understanding of their students' personal needs and abilities." (page 102)
This quote shows how important it is for teachers to also form a good relationship with their student's parents. Parents can provide the needed insight as to why a child may be acting out so, which could be from a new baby being born and all of the attention going to the baby and not the older sibling Parents can also alert teachers about circumstances that could cause a child to be upset or with drawn from the class; a pet or close relative dying could be affecting the behavior. It is also extremely important for teachers to be in contact with the parents of children of special needs. These parents can give so much helpful information to the teacher since they know everything about their child. Teachers need to do their best to form positive bonds with all the parents of their students.
Sunday, November 11, 2012
Chapter 5 Reflection-Rethinking Education
"Home schooling has been burgeoning in America over the last 25 years. Based on a survey in 2003, the U.S. Department of Education estimated there were 1.1 million children being home schooled, and that the number had increased by 29% in 4 years." (page 67)
I think that more parents are homeschooling because they want to protect their children from bullying and other instances that may happen at school. There are also many more programs out there these days that support parents who home school and have activities and field trips that all home schooled kids apart of the program can take part in. I think that homeschooling is good and can even help students easily focus on the subject they like a lot more than a traditional school can. However, I think that children should at least attend high school if they plan to go onto college, as high school will help to prepare them for what college will be like.
"The University of Phoenix is the most successful online university in America." (page 75)
With how successful the University of Phoenix is, I think that it will be more common for students to start choosing online colleges in seated of the traditional college. This allows students who have to pay their way through school to easily work during the day and then work on their college classes at night or on the weekends. This would also allow students to take a variety of credits that fit with their schedule I really enjoy online classes and even hybrid classes, so I can see why so many have opted for the online university.
"Privately owned learning centers are growing to fill gaps in the existing education system." (page 79)
I think that these learning centers are a good thing for all parents to use during the summer for their children to help them from forgetting a lot of what they learned last year over summer vacation. I would also hope that the school is providing some sort of tutoring program during the school year so that parents don't have to pay for these services during the school year.
I think that more parents are homeschooling because they want to protect their children from bullying and other instances that may happen at school. There are also many more programs out there these days that support parents who home school and have activities and field trips that all home schooled kids apart of the program can take part in. I think that homeschooling is good and can even help students easily focus on the subject they like a lot more than a traditional school can. However, I think that children should at least attend high school if they plan to go onto college, as high school will help to prepare them for what college will be like.
"The University of Phoenix is the most successful online university in America." (page 75)
With how successful the University of Phoenix is, I think that it will be more common for students to start choosing online colleges in seated of the traditional college. This allows students who have to pay their way through school to easily work during the day and then work on their college classes at night or on the weekends. This would also allow students to take a variety of credits that fit with their schedule I really enjoy online classes and even hybrid classes, so I can see why so many have opted for the online university.
"Privately owned learning centers are growing to fill gaps in the existing education system." (page 79)
I think that these learning centers are a good thing for all parents to use during the summer for their children to help them from forgetting a lot of what they learned last year over summer vacation. I would also hope that the school is providing some sort of tutoring program during the school year so that parents don't have to pay for these services during the school year.
Chapter 4 Reflection-Rethinking Education
"Until the 19th century, education was largely the responsibility of parents. Most people were farmers, and children learned the skills they needed, whether it was reading and counting or plowing and sewing, from their parents or other kin." (page 50)
I think that parents need to revert back to taking responsibility for their children's education by making sure their children are doing their best in school. Most parents do make sure that there children do their best in school, but there are parents out there that do not care about their children's schooling. The student suffers a lot and does not learn how to take responsibility for themselves. Its sad to see those students suffer, no matter how hard the teacher tries, just because the parent(s) don't care.
"..."we are no loner satisfied with vague arguments about what this or that system of administration or method of teaching does, but demand exact measurements of the achievement of any system or method or person." Soon statistical measures were developed to assess intelligence, learning, efficiency, teaching, and leadership." (page 59)
I think that standardized tests are a good way to measure whether or not a teacher is teaching well as well as whether or not a student is learning. I think that the tests should be given in the spring instead of the fall because then the tests will actually reflect the current teacher instead of the previous teacher from the previous grade. Having standardized tests in the spring would also allow for students to actually use the knowledge that they have learned this school year.
"The exponential growth of knowledge has also put increasing stress on the schools. It is said that there are as many scientists, researchers, and authors alive today as lived in human history up through 1950." (page 64)
This quote points out how much information is really out there and how much information we are expecting our students to learn. Every year there is more information out there for students to learn, yet there is no way that students can keep learning all of the new information and all of the old information. Teachers really need to take the time to go through the text books and pick out the important information to ensure that the students are not being overloaded with too much information.
I think that parents need to revert back to taking responsibility for their children's education by making sure their children are doing their best in school. Most parents do make sure that there children do their best in school, but there are parents out there that do not care about their children's schooling. The student suffers a lot and does not learn how to take responsibility for themselves. Its sad to see those students suffer, no matter how hard the teacher tries, just because the parent(s) don't care.
"..."we are no loner satisfied with vague arguments about what this or that system of administration or method of teaching does, but demand exact measurements of the achievement of any system or method or person." Soon statistical measures were developed to assess intelligence, learning, efficiency, teaching, and leadership." (page 59)
I think that standardized tests are a good way to measure whether or not a teacher is teaching well as well as whether or not a student is learning. I think that the tests should be given in the spring instead of the fall because then the tests will actually reflect the current teacher instead of the previous teacher from the previous grade. Having standardized tests in the spring would also allow for students to actually use the knowledge that they have learned this school year.
"The exponential growth of knowledge has also put increasing stress on the schools. It is said that there are as many scientists, researchers, and authors alive today as lived in human history up through 1950." (page 64)
This quote points out how much information is really out there and how much information we are expecting our students to learn. Every year there is more information out there for students to learn, yet there is no way that students can keep learning all of the new information and all of the old information. Teachers really need to take the time to go through the text books and pick out the important information to ensure that the students are not being overloaded with too much information.
Exit Slip 11-5
The new thinking that I took away from this class was how easy it would be for students to make a stop motion animation. It could also be used for a variety of projects.
Sunday, November 4, 2012
Chapter 3 Reflection-Rethinking Education
"It is not that schools never change. It's that schools chance very slowly!" (page 30)
This quote shows how much the schools are hurt when funding is cut, they can't afford to change the technology that they have since they still have to worry about buying textbooks and other resources for the school. In order to get a new technology into the school, the school needs the money to come from somewhere. Even if the the new technology is funded by someone the school would still have to pay for someone to install it as well as possible updating the servers or electricity in the room if the school were receiving computers. Its sad that many other business have up to date electronics while the schools are still stuck with technology that is 5-10 years in the past.
"Taking students to the computer lab takes more time. And unless the tasks are short ones, such as drill and practice systems provide, it is difficult to get much done in the allotted time." (page 39)
I think that it is important for students to get into the computer lab a few times during every month. Doing work on the computer usually gets students excited and it also allows students to get out of the classroom and into a change of environment. Even though it may take 5-10 minutes of class time to go to the computer lab and log on it is worth it for the students. To avoid some of the time that is lost at the beginning of class the teacher can have instructions on the board and also have printed out instructions for each student to follow.
"School pursues the goal of covering all the important knowledge that people might need in the rest of their life. As knowledge has grown exponentially, textbooks have grown fatter and fatter. It has become more difficult to cover all the important material, and so curricula have become "a mile wide and an inch deep."" (page 46)
A lot of the information that students learn in school is forgotten by the time they reach adulthood. Which is demonstrated on the show "Are you smarter than a fifth Grader". If you have ever seen the show you know that many times the contestant struggles with some of the harder questions. Perhaps if the information was shortened that students are expected to learn they would retain more of it and actually be able to use it later in life.
This quote shows how much the schools are hurt when funding is cut, they can't afford to change the technology that they have since they still have to worry about buying textbooks and other resources for the school. In order to get a new technology into the school, the school needs the money to come from somewhere. Even if the the new technology is funded by someone the school would still have to pay for someone to install it as well as possible updating the servers or electricity in the room if the school were receiving computers. Its sad that many other business have up to date electronics while the schools are still stuck with technology that is 5-10 years in the past.
"Taking students to the computer lab takes more time. And unless the tasks are short ones, such as drill and practice systems provide, it is difficult to get much done in the allotted time." (page 39)
I think that it is important for students to get into the computer lab a few times during every month. Doing work on the computer usually gets students excited and it also allows students to get out of the classroom and into a change of environment. Even though it may take 5-10 minutes of class time to go to the computer lab and log on it is worth it for the students. To avoid some of the time that is lost at the beginning of class the teacher can have instructions on the board and also have printed out instructions for each student to follow.
"School pursues the goal of covering all the important knowledge that people might need in the rest of their life. As knowledge has grown exponentially, textbooks have grown fatter and fatter. It has become more difficult to cover all the important material, and so curricula have become "a mile wide and an inch deep."" (page 46)
A lot of the information that students learn in school is forgotten by the time they reach adulthood. Which is demonstrated on the show "Are you smarter than a fifth Grader". If you have ever seen the show you know that many times the contestant struggles with some of the harder questions. Perhaps if the information was shortened that students are expected to learn they would retain more of it and actually be able to use it later in life.
Chapter 2 Reflection-Rethinking Education
"Yet schools are stuck using 19th-century technology, such as books, black-boards, paper, and pencils. Computers are not at the core of schools. They are used mainly for special courses in schools,..." (page 9)
I think that books, paper, and pencils all still have a place in schools still, but there needs to be more assignments that try to incorporate technology into the classroom. The students today are doing everything while they are connected to some form of technology, that is where their focus is. That is why it is hard for some students to come to school and be asked to disconnect for 6-7 hours and try to focus on lots of different textbooks and work sheets. Students need some sort of technology in front of them to help keep them engaged. Smart boards can help with this as there are many different things that can be done with them from taking attendance and lunch count at the beginning of class to having students taking turns interacting with the smart board during the lesson. Teachers need to remember that many of their students are addicted to technology and the more they can incorporate technology into their classroom during the day the more their students will pay attention to the lesson.
"Once technologies become commonplace in schools, teachers can build on interventions like the IEP to bring customized learning to more students." (page 17)
Would it really be possible for each student to have their own version of an IEP? I can't imagine having a class of 22 students and being asked to make an IEP for every single one of them. I just don't think its possible. Basically the authors of the book are suggesting that every student has an IEP that would start when they end school and end once they graduate high school. I would envision it to work like homeschooling where the student completes everything they are required to but focuses on the subject or subjects that they like. I just don't think that its possible to do that for an entire school of any size. I think that things are fine how they are being run and students that need IEPs receive them, while others learn in the classroom like everyone else. Perhaps I could be wrong and bringing customize learning to more students would be a good idea.
"Technology enthusiasts believe that when learners are given immediate feedback on their actions they are much more likely to learn what to do correctly." (page 19)
I agree and disagree with this quote. The part that I disagree with is the immediate feedback that students receive when spelling words on the computer. Students usually know right away whether or not a word is spelled wrong because it will have a red zig-zag line under it. Once students see that line they click on the word to spell it correctly and continue writing or they just leave it and do spell check at the end. If students are doing spell check at the end of the assignment they are most likely ready to be done and quickly speed through the spell check without making a mental note of how to spell the word correctly. However I do agree that students learn from other immediate feedback they receive such as typing a word into an online dictionary and finding out what it means. I also think that students learn when they get immediate feedback from online educational games. Look at it from the students point of view, is it important I lean how to spell a word or is it more important to get the assignment done so that I can play video games.
I think that books, paper, and pencils all still have a place in schools still, but there needs to be more assignments that try to incorporate technology into the classroom. The students today are doing everything while they are connected to some form of technology, that is where their focus is. That is why it is hard for some students to come to school and be asked to disconnect for 6-7 hours and try to focus on lots of different textbooks and work sheets. Students need some sort of technology in front of them to help keep them engaged. Smart boards can help with this as there are many different things that can be done with them from taking attendance and lunch count at the beginning of class to having students taking turns interacting with the smart board during the lesson. Teachers need to remember that many of their students are addicted to technology and the more they can incorporate technology into their classroom during the day the more their students will pay attention to the lesson.
"Once technologies become commonplace in schools, teachers can build on interventions like the IEP to bring customized learning to more students." (page 17)
Would it really be possible for each student to have their own version of an IEP? I can't imagine having a class of 22 students and being asked to make an IEP for every single one of them. I just don't think its possible. Basically the authors of the book are suggesting that every student has an IEP that would start when they end school and end once they graduate high school. I would envision it to work like homeschooling where the student completes everything they are required to but focuses on the subject or subjects that they like. I just don't think that its possible to do that for an entire school of any size. I think that things are fine how they are being run and students that need IEPs receive them, while others learn in the classroom like everyone else. Perhaps I could be wrong and bringing customize learning to more students would be a good idea.
"Technology enthusiasts believe that when learners are given immediate feedback on their actions they are much more likely to learn what to do correctly." (page 19)
I agree and disagree with this quote. The part that I disagree with is the immediate feedback that students receive when spelling words on the computer. Students usually know right away whether or not a word is spelled wrong because it will have a red zig-zag line under it. Once students see that line they click on the word to spell it correctly and continue writing or they just leave it and do spell check at the end. If students are doing spell check at the end of the assignment they are most likely ready to be done and quickly speed through the spell check without making a mental note of how to spell the word correctly. However I do agree that students learn from other immediate feedback they receive such as typing a word into an online dictionary and finding out what it means. I also think that students learn when they get immediate feedback from online educational games. Look at it from the students point of view, is it important I lean how to spell a word or is it more important to get the assignment done so that I can play video games.
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