I recently watched a video podcast made by Stanford University. The podcast was titled "Growth" vs "Fixed" Mindsets in Learning. At first there was some debate over each mindset, then they decided to teach children the growth mindset in an educational setting. The first half of the students went through an eight session workshop studying work skills and personality skills. The second half of the students only received study skills. They said the study skills were great and they thought they would be motivating, but the end result was not good what so ever. This was because they had no personal motivation to put their studies into practice.
The group of students with work skills and personality skills did exceptionally well. They were taught with the Growth mindset method. "Your brain is like a muscle, it gets stronger when it is used." Their connections increased over time and their intellectual skills grew as well. They are now doing research to see if race car drivers can benefit from the growth mindset.
I believe this type of growth mindset needs to be used in every classroom. A student can be taught anything, but they will not learn it unless they can use it themselves and see it in practice. It is completely true that your brain gets stronger if you use it. I want my students to understand this.
Monday, March 30, 2009
Monday, March 23, 2009
Video Podcasts
For this assignment I was asked to watch video podcasts on iTunes. The video podcast that I found to watch was titled Super Why Episode 102 - Hansel and Gretel by PBS Kids. In this episode they talk about reading. Cartoon characters are used and are designed to attract young elementary level children. There is a main character named Wyatt and he travels through a bookcase to find different activities to do. He goes on picnics with his friends who are different fairytale characters.
Wyatt calls super readers when there is a problem and they meet in the book club. I can see where a type of video podcast like this can be useful in the classroom. This type of video can be very interesting to elementary age children. It is full of bright colors and allows the child to become a part of the video. The characters talk to the viewer, not just among themselves. I think this video is a great way to help children with reading.
Wyatt calls super readers when there is a problem and they meet in the book club. I can see where a type of video podcast like this can be useful in the classroom. This type of video can be very interesting to elementary age children. It is full of bright colors and allows the child to become a part of the video. The characters talk to the viewer, not just among themselves. I think this video is a great way to help children with reading.
Tuesday, March 10, 2009
iTunes Podcasts
This was my first time actually exploring what else is on iTunes besides music. I found the podcasts to be pretty interesting, some more than others. The first podcast I listened to was the smart board lesson. This podcast was about how smart boards can be incorporated into the classroom, and the different things teachers can do with smart boards. I can actually relate to this podcast because in eighth grade my classroom had a smart board. We all thought it was really cool that our teacher was teaching us using the smart board. We had fun with it in the classroom and it gave us a new, fun way to learn. Of course our smart board was nothing like they are today. Students can now listen to podcasts via the smart board. They are able to stop, rewind, and pause the material as needed. The students also seem to be more engaged in their learning when they get to use this kind of technology.
The second podcast I listened to was Kidcast. In this podcast I learned about ways to keep students active while listening to podcasts. Some of the tips included creating an outline for students to follow, and having some sort of question or quiz at the end of the podcast. I think this is a great idea because if students are only listening to a podcast their minds can wonder away from the information. If they have a reason to stay on task, such as a quiz after, it makes it easier for them to pay attention. I know this would work for me now.
The last podcasts helped me to better understand how to create effective podcasts. Each of the podcasts focused on technology and how to use things such as facebook, blogs, computer applications, etc. in your podcasts. I think that podcasts can be very effective in the classroom. I also believe that if they are conducted in the right ways that the students can gain much needed confidence for the future. It is a good idea to prepare your students with podcasts, making them create some of their own, so in the future it will not be a new topic for them. They will know how podcasts work and what is needed to make them effective.
The second podcast I listened to was Kidcast. In this podcast I learned about ways to keep students active while listening to podcasts. Some of the tips included creating an outline for students to follow, and having some sort of question or quiz at the end of the podcast. I think this is a great idea because if students are only listening to a podcast their minds can wonder away from the information. If they have a reason to stay on task, such as a quiz after, it makes it easier for them to pay attention. I know this would work for me now.
The last podcasts helped me to better understand how to create effective podcasts. Each of the podcasts focused on technology and how to use things such as facebook, blogs, computer applications, etc. in your podcasts. I think that podcasts can be very effective in the classroom. I also believe that if they are conducted in the right ways that the students can gain much needed confidence for the future. It is a good idea to prepare your students with podcasts, making them create some of their own, so in the future it will not be a new topic for them. They will know how podcasts work and what is needed to make them effective.
Sunday, March 8, 2009
Podcast Reviews
The first podcast I listened to was Lessons from Life: The Last Lecture of Randy Pausch. I think there are a few things that could have made this lecture better. The information was given very fast. Maybe speaking slower would have made the information come across a little more clear. I know they were probably a bit nervous, but it also sounded as if they did not practice it before hand. Practicing does not mean having to memorize your page word for word, but knowing most of it can help eliminate some of the “uh & um” spots.
The second podcast I listened to was Blogging – Podcast #2 (#1 of Ms. Averitt’s Class). The speakers in this podcast speak very clear and slow. This gave me time to comprehend what was being talked about. I liked how they gave the background information on blogs for people who are not that familiar with them. The only thing I noticed was that it sounded like they were reading the information straight from the paper. I will try to make mine a little more personable.
The second podcast I listened to was Blogging – Podcast #2 (#1 of Ms. Averitt’s Class). The speakers in this podcast speak very clear and slow. This gave me time to comprehend what was being talked about. I liked how they gave the background information on blogs for people who are not that familiar with them. The only thing I noticed was that it sounded like they were reading the information straight from the paper. I will try to make mine a little more personable.
Tuesday, February 24, 2009
The Last Lecture
After watching Randy Pausch's last lecture I was completely speechless. It would have been so hard for me to break down my life the way Randy did, and he did it very well. First he points out the "elephant in the room" which is his illness. He has about 10 tumors in his liver and the doctors gave him 3 - 6 months to live. Randy has an incredibly positive attitude about his situation and is just taking it as it comes. I had many favorite quotes from this lecture and one of them is "We cannot change the cards we are dealt, just how we play the hand." He is a wonderful teacher and has many skills and practices that can and should be used in every classroom.
Randy's last lecture is broken down into three topics. The first is about his childhood dreams, the second is about enabling the dreams of others, and the third is about lessons learned: how you can achieve your dreams or enable the dreams of others. Another of my favorite quotes from his lecture is about the brick walls. It goes a little something like this "The brick walls are there for a reason. The brick walls are not there to keep us out. The brick walls are there to give us a chance to show how badly we really want something. The brick walls are there to stop the people who don't want it badly enough." I absolutely love what Randy is saying about the brick walls. I am going to use this quote in my future classroom. I think that it can give that extra bit of motivation when we need it the most. Brick walls let us show our dedication. If you have a dreams you can make it happen. Randy shows how he made his happen and it is possible at some point to reach your dreams too.
His next topic is how to enable the dreams of others. Randy was so happy to have become a professor. He says "What better of a place to enable the dreams of others?" I agree with this 110%! I think that teachers are here to help enable their student's dreams, no matter what those dreams may be. In some cases, a child's teacher may be the only one that actually cares what the child's dream is. Randy told his class who's projects completely blew him away that he knew that they could do better. He never put a bar anywhere for his students to reach, this way they just kept rising. He also states that "The best gift an educator can give is to make a student become self reflective." I will also use the "head fake" in my classroom. He says that the best way to make someone learn something, is to make them think they are learning something else. An example is ALICE. In this program students think they are just playing a game but in reality they are learning to program it. "Have fun while learning something hard!" Teachers also need to learn from their students.
In the lessons learned section he talks about how to get people to help you. He makes some great points such as: you can't get there alone, believe in karma, tell the truth, be earnest, apologize when you screw up, and focus on others not yourself. When people give you feedback, cherish it and use it. Always show gratitude. Be good at something, it makes you valuable. Be prepared: luck is where preparation meets opportunity. By the end of his lecture I was nearly crying, a wave of emotion came over me. Randy's lecture had two head fakes. The lecture was not about how to achieve your dreams, but how to live your life. Also, the lecture was not for the people in the class, it was for his kids. What an amazing teacher, husband, and father!
Randy's last lecture is broken down into three topics. The first is about his childhood dreams, the second is about enabling the dreams of others, and the third is about lessons learned: how you can achieve your dreams or enable the dreams of others. Another of my favorite quotes from his lecture is about the brick walls. It goes a little something like this "The brick walls are there for a reason. The brick walls are not there to keep us out. The brick walls are there to give us a chance to show how badly we really want something. The brick walls are there to stop the people who don't want it badly enough." I absolutely love what Randy is saying about the brick walls. I am going to use this quote in my future classroom. I think that it can give that extra bit of motivation when we need it the most. Brick walls let us show our dedication. If you have a dreams you can make it happen. Randy shows how he made his happen and it is possible at some point to reach your dreams too.
His next topic is how to enable the dreams of others. Randy was so happy to have become a professor. He says "What better of a place to enable the dreams of others?" I agree with this 110%! I think that teachers are here to help enable their student's dreams, no matter what those dreams may be. In some cases, a child's teacher may be the only one that actually cares what the child's dream is. Randy told his class who's projects completely blew him away that he knew that they could do better. He never put a bar anywhere for his students to reach, this way they just kept rising. He also states that "The best gift an educator can give is to make a student become self reflective." I will also use the "head fake" in my classroom. He says that the best way to make someone learn something, is to make them think they are learning something else. An example is ALICE. In this program students think they are just playing a game but in reality they are learning to program it. "Have fun while learning something hard!" Teachers also need to learn from their students.
In the lessons learned section he talks about how to get people to help you. He makes some great points such as: you can't get there alone, believe in karma, tell the truth, be earnest, apologize when you screw up, and focus on others not yourself. When people give you feedback, cherish it and use it. Always show gratitude. Be good at something, it makes you valuable. Be prepared: luck is where preparation meets opportunity. By the end of his lecture I was nearly crying, a wave of emotion came over me. Randy's lecture had two head fakes. The lecture was not about how to achieve your dreams, but how to live your life. Also, the lecture was not for the people in the class, it was for his kids. What an amazing teacher, husband, and father!
Saturday, February 14, 2009
International Teacher Blogs
The first blog I found was Mrs. Cassidy's classroom blog. She teaches a class of 6 year olds in Moose Jaw, Canada. The students names are listed on the right side of the page and each student has his or her own blog. She has a list of student entries to keep up with their work. She also included a panel of related links such as Build Your Wild Self, The 100th Day Project, Alphabet Antics, and some links to other teachers blogs. She also posts videos of class activities and school functions. Mrs. Cassidy also posts updates about what the class is doing. Right now they are learning to read and write. Pictured below are two of her students on the 100th Day of School. Some of their activities included writing numbers to 100, reading 100 books, work on a puzzles with 100 pieces, and eat 100 snacks.
The next blog I found was Mrs. Lowe's Area 11 Bloggers. She teaches Area 11 students in Perth, Western Australia. Mrs. Lowe starts the blog by talking about how they will be using the blog. The school recently purchased laptops for the students to share. The students learned how to access the Internet and log in to their blogs. This class also buddies up with younger classes to help each other complete activities. They held class elections and chose class leaders and class secretaries. Pictured below are the new class leaders, Rebecca and James, and the new class secretaries, Mi Li and Jake.
Wednesday, February 4, 2009
Teacher Blogs
The first blog that I came across was Mr. Kreienkamp's Social Studies Class. This blog was created by Fred Kreienkamp who teaches Social Studies and Reading at Kearney Middle School in Commerce City, Colorado. This blog has a few topics about Native Americans and the Spanish so far. In one of his topics he asks his students to comment about some of their interests, what they would like to do more of in class, and what they would like to learn more about. The students are also very responsive. He also includes links to different history sites for his students to research. Pictured below is Mr. Kreienhamp.
The next blog I visited was Mr. C's Class Blog. This blog was created by Wm Chamberlain, who teaches 5th grade at Noel Elementary School in Noel, Missouri. His blog is filled with links to other teachers blogs, schools, lessons, education games, etc. He has streaming video of his classroom and his class in the computer lab. He also posts pictures and videos of particular assignments throughout the semester. He also keeps up with a class in Australia through their own blog. The two teachers share assignments with eachother's classes, and the students can communicate with them as well. He also added gadgets to the blog such as class pictures, class calendar, class videos, rss feeds, and much more. Pictured below are students from his class with the contents of a package they received from New Zealand.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
