@LoweryPemberton I followed a Twitter Chat on animal logo/mascots & what they mean to students using #EnviroEd. The discussion focused on why we choose certain animals for our school mascots, what we promote as the meaning for this animal and why certain animals are used for marketing. I really liked how during the discussion, the conclusion was made that most of the schools pick animals that seem intimidating, are "fierce" and are not found near the school in real life. However, some schools actually chose animals that did represent the local area or stood as a symbol for change in our ways. One resource shared during the conversation was a creative writing assignment for getting teams, schools or businesses to pay towards saving the animals they have as their mascot. This is a great idea! Overall, I'm not sure I felt Twitter gave enough space or organization for an effective conversation. I was often confused trying to put the pieces together and block out the random comments with #EnviroEd that had nothing to do with the chat. However, I do appreciate how it limits ranting by individuals that can get ugly and are ineffective. feedly readerAn article by Alexandra Ossola called "Turning 3-Year-Olds into Scientists" gave me even more reason to believe that starting young is key. It is imperative for teachers to give students the opportunity to express themselves and create a colorful, welcoming environment for students to learn. Why, then, do we begin to smother their ideas and paint the walls white as children get older? Instead, we should be starting experiences and creative learning environments at a young age and continuing it throughout schooling. By remaining positive about science and giving them experiences, we can start children as young as infants on a positive path for learning. This reading has given me even more assurance that my philosophy and current occupation is valid. Also, it focuses my attention on pre-K programs and continuing partnerships with Head Start. A TED video called "Why Elephants Never Forget" by Alex Gendler showed a parallel relationship between humans and elephants in emotional and cognitive abilities. Elephants have similar brains to humans; they can problem solve, spot signs of developing situations and even feel depression after traumatic events. They even show concern for other animals, perform memorial ceremonies. They are intelligent and emotional animals that need to be protected. This resource has made me aware of the complexity of elephants but also serves as a great lesson for students to study habitat destruction and it's effects. The poem, "Rather Stand" by Vicki Davis brings everything I believe in center stage. She says what I think a lot of us think every day. As teachers, we want to be the best supporters and instructors that we can be for our students. I love when she said, "I’d rather help kids answer questions of their own instead of answering mine. I’d rather give kids hope than steal their dreams". This made me think of all of the instructional techniques that we have been able to utilize this semester with technology. I now know strategies that I can use to encourage my students to ask their own questions and not stop at what I say during the lesson. Without internal motivation, learning will not take place. With this poem, I am motivated to continue with my mission of becoming an amazing teacher who can inspire others to do the right things in the world, to be who they want to be in life. I’d rather follow my dreams educators pln"BYOD in the 21st Century" by Thomas Whitby questioned society on when will the change be for students to no longer take notes with pen and paper, but to instead use keyboards. He related the issue of devices in schools to himself by explaining that he would be very uncomfortable and less efficient without his devise. If students did have devices in schools, lessons could easily be supported and enhanced, assignments could be more meaningful and differentiated and students could overall be more engaged. I think the key point Thomas made was that just because technology is allowed in the classroom, it does not mean it has to be used all of the time. This is a key problem that I see in schools that allow devices but do not have any restrictions. The devices then become a distraction rather than an enhancement to the learning process. For work, I use technology to build a new dimension to the lessons and allow students to use scientific equipment and compare results with other students. If used properly, BYOD would benefit the teachers, students and school system. A common topic is whether or not giving homework helps students learn more. Thomas Whitby recently posted "Don't Give Homework" to Educators PLN. In this, he interview Alfie Kohn who stated that research does not show homework being effective for primary students and barely beneficial for secondary students. Although the scientist in me can not disagree with statistics, I still cannot bring myself to agree with Alfie that students who have never had homework will cope just as well if not better than those who have when going to college. For me, the Governor's School program was my saving grace for the transfer into college because of the rigorous homework that made me think and do more than rote memorization. This is where the problem lies; homework needs to be authentic, meaningful and differentiated if assigned. It can not be busy work. For the future, I plan to test the flipped classroom method and have students watch lessons at home and do "homework" and projects in class to develop learning and decrease frustrations. Coincidentally, Skip Via described PLNs and reflected on his own in "Personal Learning Networks for Educators". Similar to what I have learned through this class and the process of creating my own PLN, he emphasized that PLNs are important for support systems, professional development and helping others. In seconds I can find lesson ideas, collaborate with colleagues and connect to something larger than myself. It is an interconnected web that makes you feel like someone else has your back. Reviewing this process, a few resources will follow me after this class: Skype I'm sure there are more, but these are very important for my sanity :) These resources are vital to helping me improve on my teaching and always keeping up-to-date on the best techniques and ideas. |