I listened to a first grade boy tell a story he wrote and dedicated to his father. His father was taking a trip to Costa Rica to visit a friend so he wrote a story about a yellow car and a robber. The name of the story was "The Car In Costa Rica" and the little boy was named Will. The story is about a yellow car in Costa Rica that has been accused of being the getaway car for a Robbery. He really did an excellent job writing and reading the story.
I was very impressed with the creative writing and imagination of Will. He really impressed me not only with his story but with his ability to tell the story. I would have thought he would seem more frightened than he did. He spoke very well and clearly, every word was heard clearly.
I feel like podcasting would be an exciting tool for kids of this age. I can just see the excitement on their face when hearing their voices and what they sound like telling their stories. I feel like it would also be very exciting for the teacher also. While listening to your students, you can hear their strengths and weaknesses and be able to focus more on the areas that aren't as strong as others.
As a physical education teacher I don't know that this will be a tool that is implemented very easily in the class. I would like to think I could figure out a way to use it but even if I did I'm not sure the school would allow it or just see it as a waste of time. I do feel like this would be a great asset to other areas of education and would love to see my kids using this technology.
Tuesday, March 31, 2009
Podcasts from EDM3102008
The first podcast I listened to was "Possiblility for using Facebook in an Educational Setting". I chose this particular post because I have just recently been introduced to the Facebook world. This post made me curious on just how Facebook can be used in the classroom. The two girls that were speaking on Facebook did a pretty good job for their first podcast. Even though you could tell they were reading a script, you could tell that they had spent time rehearsing what they were saying. The biggest thing I noticed was their voice decibles. The needed to speek a little louder and needed to be a little more dramatic and not as monotoned. By doing this it would be easier to follow and be more interesting.
"Can You Tube be used for Educational Purposes?", is the second podcast I chose. I basically chose this podcast to learn a little about You Tube. Not being able to spend the time that most can on the computer I am computer deficient and am trying to learn more. The three students in this podcast seemed a little more ready for the their podcast than most. Their voices had a very good tone and carried well so it was much easier to understand. I felt the boy in this group seemed more well prepared or versed on what he wanted to say than the two girls. The girls were easily detected for reading their scripts and I also felt at times their voices changed throughout.
I feel that listening to the podcast would probably have helped me if I would have had the time. If the time would have been available for me then I feel by listening to these podcast I would have been more aware of common mistakes made by all students and maybe I could have corrected it in ours. I know that reading from a script makes you sound very boring and very monotone. If you practice and prepare it helps to make the podcast more interesting and enjoyable to listen to. It also helps prepare you to use a clear and conversational tone of voice instead of a boring tone.
"Can You Tube be used for Educational Purposes?", is the second podcast I chose. I basically chose this podcast to learn a little about You Tube. Not being able to spend the time that most can on the computer I am computer deficient and am trying to learn more. The three students in this podcast seemed a little more ready for the their podcast than most. Their voices had a very good tone and carried well so it was much easier to understand. I felt the boy in this group seemed more well prepared or versed on what he wanted to say than the two girls. The girls were easily detected for reading their scripts and I also felt at times their voices changed throughout.
I feel that listening to the podcast would probably have helped me if I would have had the time. If the time would have been available for me then I feel by listening to these podcast I would have been more aware of common mistakes made by all students and maybe I could have corrected it in ours. I know that reading from a script makes you sound very boring and very monotone. If you practice and prepare it helps to make the podcast more interesting and enjoyable to listen to. It also helps prepare you to use a clear and conversational tone of voice instead of a boring tone.
"Growth" vs. "Fixed" Minds in Learning - Standford University Challenge
The video podcast for this week was "Growth" vs. "Fixed" Minds. This particular podcast is a study performed by Stanford University. The study explores two different mind sets. One was the fixed mindset. This group believed that intelligence is based on a fixed trait and that learning has no revelance on how intelligent a person is. The other group believed that learning has to do with growth. That their intelligence and how smart someone is depends on what and how much a person is learning. That they become smarter due to education and perserverance for a better and improved mind. The example they gave were of a baby. As a baby grows he in return learns and without the growth there would be no learning.
The study devided the students into two groups. The first group were the "fixed" mindset group. They were given certain learning and study skills to complete certain tasks. Because of the mindset of this group, their was lack of motivation. So, instead of taking the study skills and using them to their advantage, they dismissed them and they ended up with declining grades. The second group was the "Growth" mindset group. This group was not only taught study skills but also growth concept. This group nourished what they were taught and their grades improved and were very successful.
As teachers we aspire to never stop learning and find creative and interesting ways to implement this behavior into our students. I feel it is very important to teach our students that learning is a process that will take us down many paths. Some of those paths we will encounter mistakes that must be overcome for our minds to grow and learn. Without this type of learning and mindset, we close off a part of learning that should be nurtured so we can use our brain capacity to the best of our ability. Learning is a never ending process for everyone. It doesn't matter how old we become, learning will always be an important part of our life.
The study devided the students into two groups. The first group were the "fixed" mindset group. They were given certain learning and study skills to complete certain tasks. Because of the mindset of this group, their was lack of motivation. So, instead of taking the study skills and using them to their advantage, they dismissed them and they ended up with declining grades. The second group was the "Growth" mindset group. This group was not only taught study skills but also growth concept. This group nourished what they were taught and their grades improved and were very successful.
As teachers we aspire to never stop learning and find creative and interesting ways to implement this behavior into our students. I feel it is very important to teach our students that learning is a process that will take us down many paths. Some of those paths we will encounter mistakes that must be overcome for our minds to grow and learn. Without this type of learning and mindset, we close off a part of learning that should be nurtured so we can use our brain capacity to the best of our ability. Learning is a never ending process for everyone. It doesn't matter how old we become, learning will always be an important part of our life.
Tuesday, March 3, 2009
Podcasting
Podcasting is a very interesting and useful tool for todays classroom. It allows the class to be focused on the lesson content and helps the teacher determine the progress a student is making in the class. It is an evaluating tool to know where the students knowledge begins, its progression through research and study and also allows the students to learn from the information the other students are presenting.
After attending many field trips with my son's already this year I became personally interested in podcast #53. I am now wishing their teachers used this technology for their advantage and truly believe the students would have retained more knowledge from the field trip. By using podcasting on field trips, students are asked to think about and record what they think they are going to experience on the trip and what they may already know about that particular subject. They are then asked to record their experience at different times during their field trips and what they have actually learned. This is a great way for students to learn more and retain more knowledge of the field trip and things they may not have known.
The Smartboard Lesson #149 was also very interesting. The smartboard allows the teacher to to post notes about the content of the lesson. It is a great way for the teachers and the students to use a hands-on technology approach in the classroom. By having the smartboard connected to the computer it allows the teacher and students to use a large screen projected on the wall for easy use and readability. They use a touch screen on the computer to manipulate the system for it to be projected on the wall for everyone to see and use with ease. This technique also allows students and teacher to use video conferencing with other schools around the world to expand their knowledge and views on many different subjects and areas.
Podcasting is definitely a very useful and informative tool to use in today's classroom. It is one of today's technologies that will help expand the students thinking, interactive and communication skills like we have never seen before. Students and teachers can reach each other and classrooms around the world to experience areas that would otherwise be impossible. I can only hope that our schools and classrooms will take advantage of the technology that is now at our fingertips.
After attending many field trips with my son's already this year I became personally interested in podcast #53. I am now wishing their teachers used this technology for their advantage and truly believe the students would have retained more knowledge from the field trip. By using podcasting on field trips, students are asked to think about and record what they think they are going to experience on the trip and what they may already know about that particular subject. They are then asked to record their experience at different times during their field trips and what they have actually learned. This is a great way for students to learn more and retain more knowledge of the field trip and things they may not have known.
The Smartboard Lesson #149 was also very interesting. The smartboard allows the teacher to to post notes about the content of the lesson. It is a great way for the teachers and the students to use a hands-on technology approach in the classroom. By having the smartboard connected to the computer it allows the teacher and students to use a large screen projected on the wall for easy use and readability. They use a touch screen on the computer to manipulate the system for it to be projected on the wall for everyone to see and use with ease. This technique also allows students and teacher to use video conferencing with other schools around the world to expand their knowledge and views on many different subjects and areas.
Podcasting is definitely a very useful and informative tool to use in today's classroom. It is one of today's technologies that will help expand the students thinking, interactive and communication skills like we have never seen before. Students and teachers can reach each other and classrooms around the world to experience areas that would otherwise be impossible. I can only hope that our schools and classrooms will take advantage of the technology that is now at our fingertips.
Randy Pausch's Last Lecture: Achieving Your Childhood Dreams
Randy Pausch's Last Lecture deals with pursuing your dreams and breaking down any walls that may stand in your way. He states in his lecture "If a brick wall is in front of you then you must work harder to achieve it because the brick walls only determine how badly you want to achieve this." Who better to to teach this great lesson of life than Randy who has and is battling a brick wall daily. Randy is an inspiration to us all, never letting that brick wall stop him. He defies the meaning of giving up and tries to help everyone understand the meaning of determination and achieving your dreams no matter what walls are put before you.
During the lecture Randy listed many of his childhood dreams that to most would seem impossible, but to Randy nothing was impossible. Randy always managed to find a way to find some piece of his dream and make it into reality. For example, his dream for floating in space. This dream only becomes reality for a handful of people over many hardworking years. Randy took this dream knowing this and made it reality by making it a project for him and his class. The project wasn't exactly what his dream was but he found a way to get as close as he good and learn many lessons from it. He managed to do this with most of his dreams. I believe it was more of a way to learn how to achieve than to experience the actual dream. By doing this he built his knowledge over the years and would eventually be the man he is today. Not only for himself but for all of us who dream but who never have the determination to follow our dreams.
Pausch also tries to instill in all of us just how important the people in our lives are. How they actually help to mold our lives and who we become. It teaches us how to look for the good in everyone and use that good to help improve our lives. We learn to work hard, listen to our peers and take everyday lessons to make our lives successful. Randy also explains just how important it is to show our thankfulness and gratitude to the people in our lives for our lives to be truly meaningful.
In the last section of the lecture Randy expresses the importance of lessons learned and how in order for us to learn totally from the lesson we must experience it in a fun childlike manner. He feels that learning the true meaning of life and our dreams can only be truly achieved when we are having fun. Pausch expresses the importance of knowing its ok to screw up but we must be in an area of life that we know its ok to admit it and apologize so we can focus on others and not ourselves. That we learn the true lessons of life from others and that is the only way to be totally successful.
During the lecture Randy listed many of his childhood dreams that to most would seem impossible, but to Randy nothing was impossible. Randy always managed to find a way to find some piece of his dream and make it into reality. For example, his dream for floating in space. This dream only becomes reality for a handful of people over many hardworking years. Randy took this dream knowing this and made it reality by making it a project for him and his class. The project wasn't exactly what his dream was but he found a way to get as close as he good and learn many lessons from it. He managed to do this with most of his dreams. I believe it was more of a way to learn how to achieve than to experience the actual dream. By doing this he built his knowledge over the years and would eventually be the man he is today. Not only for himself but for all of us who dream but who never have the determination to follow our dreams.
Pausch also tries to instill in all of us just how important the people in our lives are. How they actually help to mold our lives and who we become. It teaches us how to look for the good in everyone and use that good to help improve our lives. We learn to work hard, listen to our peers and take everyday lessons to make our lives successful. Randy also explains just how important it is to show our thankfulness and gratitude to the people in our lives for our lives to be truly meaningful.
In the last section of the lecture Randy expresses the importance of lessons learned and how in order for us to learn totally from the lesson we must experience it in a fun childlike manner. He feels that learning the true meaning of life and our dreams can only be truly achieved when we are having fun. Pausch expresses the importance of knowing its ok to screw up but we must be in an area of life that we know its ok to admit it and apologize so we can focus on others and not ourselves. That we learn the true lessons of life from others and that is the only way to be totally successful.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
