Journal Entry 9

"We are constantly critiquing, adjusting, modifying,

revising"

"Whereas young writers are often

inspired by the great works of literature"

"Teachers use these artifacts to

engage the children in discussing and reflecting on their

design process and thinking process

The first quote is interesting to me because it states that the creators of the scratch program are actually practicing what they preach unlike many individuals. The second quote is so true kids aren't concerned with the grammar used in a story, they just want to read something that is interesting to them. I believe the content of a story is much more important than the words used or the length of the story.

I found at interesting video that relates very well to the article here

Resources:

creative thinking) i learned (by studying how children learn) in kindergarten. Retrieved from http://web.media.mit.edu/~mres/papers/kindergarten-learning-approach.pdf

Welcome to the real world of 21st century learning. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.creativelearningsystems.com/smartlab.aspx

We Quest Idea

My webquest will be about the presidential election process. The webquest I'm going to use as a guide is here.

Journal Entry 8

Simulation and games are related to project based learning because you can have groups of students make their own models to represent complex material; like the United States Government. Students could also be split into groups for a debate, being asked to collaborate to form their groups opinion on the topic up for debate.

Cues, Question, and Advanced Organizers are related to project based learning because this strategy gives you an idea about level of information or topic the students would be interested in and ready to conquer. This is done through accessing their prior knowledge.

Reinforcing Effort is compatible with project based learning because it is important to encourage students through any educational process, but students rely on it more when they are left to make their own decisions about what is being done.

Resources:

Research-based strategies. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.netc.org/focus/strategies/

Double Journal Entry 7

The dominant paradigm that is showing signs of weakening is the education method of the teacher dictating to the students through lecture and textbook use. It must weaken because with all the advances of technology in the world the United States education system must start using them to catch up with other countries education system. As a result our education system is not keeping pace with other ones around the world.

Project based Learning is superior to traditional learning because it results in better critical thinking skills. The study of fourth and fifth grades by Sheperd(1998) resulted in the students using project based learning concerned with housing shortages in different countries had a significant increase in critical thinking skills as well as being more confident in what they leaned compared to the control group. The Boahler study(1997, 1998) studied two different British schools over a three year period, one using project based learning the other traditional learning. The students made similar gains on basic mathematical procedures. The project based group did better on conceptual problems. They could use the information in different circumstances unlike the traditional group that just remembered the rules and to use them in a formal problem. Thus project based learning results in a student that is prepared to answer a multitude of questions using the knowledge gained through just one project. A study that had two groups make a brochure about motivation, attitude toward learning, work habits, critical thinking skills, and problem solving abilities again resulted with a higher level in conceptual skills. Project based learning has also been beneficial to students who struggle in the traditional classroom; those students have excelled it may be because it suits their learning style better or the activity involved in the project. Students have less time to be disruptive when they are active in their learning.

Problem based learning is exactly what it sounds like. Students work in small groups to identify the problem, what they need to know about it, and how to solve the problem. This type of learning is experimental because if one way to solve the problem at hand fails students modify their technique to solve the problem until they are successful. This type of education is better than traditional because it prepares students to tackle problems they will face in the real world. A study showed that medical students that had classes using problem based learning with a mock patient scored higher on clinical problem solving and on actual clinical performance(Vernon & Blake, 1993;
Albanese & Mitchell, 1993). Project based learning leads students to examine their own work closely. Teachers writing about their own practice leads to reflection, and sometimes changes in their methods
(Darling-Hammond & Hammerness, 2002). Students engaged in this method of learning are able to justify their explanations with legitimate arguements(Stepien et al., 1993). If asked why they felt a certain why a student with a problem based learning background would not just simply say because instead they could articulate an informative explanation of their answer. This type of person’s opinion is more respected than anyone that can’t reasonably explain their feelings.

In learning by design students learn through designing and building a product that requires understanding and applying their knowledge. Once again the students are active involved learners. In one study sixth graders built a partial working respiratory system. The students that designed the system had a better understanding of how the respiratory system functioned than those learning the material in a traditional setting(Hmelo, Holton, and Kolodner2000).

A difference between problem based learning and the other two strategies is the self reflection process in order to better your final work. Learning by design involves a physical representation of what was learned instead of a powerpoint presentation or another final product. In project based learning it is central to the curriculum. For example the final picture drawn in compter aided drafting class(CAD). Where a problem based project the final presentation or product could merely be documents that diagnosis a disease.

The most important benefit for learning in all three of these techniques is preparing students for their lives after school. The techniques all involve social skills which are essential for one to succeed in toady's world. For example at a job interview the individual conducting the interview may ask you to justify something on your resume if your unable to do so intelligently with reasonable explanation you are simply not going to acquire the job.

Resources:

Barron Brigid. (n.d.). Teaching for meaningful learning. Retrieved from http://www.edutopia.org/pdfs/edutopia-teaching-for-meaningful-learning.pdf

PowerPoint Quiz

The PowerPoint quiz activity relates to setting objectives, however it is a poor example of effectively setting objectives. The objectives are to narrow in this activity. The student doesn't have no sense of ownership of the PowerPoint they create, because they must follow step by step directions. You can't even pick your own animals to represent dangerous and not dangerous. The students also have no say in the goal setting process. The activity would better represent the setting objectives effectively by letting the students make more decisions while making the PowerPoint to obtain the ownership students long for in their academic work. "If students are encouraged to personalize the teacher's goals, then learning increases. Student ownership enhances learning focus."

Resources:

Setting objectives research based strategies . (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.netc.org/focus/strategies/sett.php

Double Journal Entry 6

Speaker 1
1. This is helpful for teaching in West Virginia because almost everyone in the state speaks informally with a dialect that is not even close to what is expected from an individual in a formal setting; like an interview for a job.
2. The degrees the speaker holds.
3. respond to mistakes by correcting what the child is not doing.
4. You are trying to correct the vernacular, the students see no connection.
5. scientific method, code switching, and contrastive analysis.
6. Because the cat comes directly after Taylor the owner.
7.The informal possessive pattern is the owner then whatever the own is directly after. The formal possessive pattern is the owner plus the apostrophe S then what is owned.
8. The technique being used in the second grade is code switching.
9. The scientific method look at patterns by collecting data, observe the data, then form a hypothesis from the observation, check the hypothesis to verify the hypothesis.
10. The question is simply what changed.
11. Students reflect when and where formal and informal language is appropriate.
12.City University of New York all students took a pre writing test, traditional approaches showed no improvement, comparison and contrast analysis group showed nearly a 100% improvement.

Speaker 2
1. The students said they felt stupid, confused, and angry.
2. The teacher related the terms to what they knew, clothes they wore in formal and informal situations.
3. Students are prepared to write formally for their life after school. Employers will usually not take a second look at an applicant’s application if it is written in an acceptable manor. Students are more aware of language in every scenario. Students are more accepting of people with different languages and dialects.

On Your Own
In generating and testing hypotheses the students are active learners going through the scientific method to find conclusions. The students are central to solving the problem, because they are making decisions about how to solve the problem. All students look want that feeling of ownership when doing any task including schoolwork.

In identifying differences and similarities students are linking similarities and differences to what they already know, and making new categories for information that doesn’t fit in an existing category.
Resources:

Generating and testing hypotheses . (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.netc.org/focus/strategies/gene.php

Identifying similarities and differences. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.netc.org/focus/strategies/iden.php

Wheeler Rebecca. (Writer) (2007). Teaching standard english in urban classrooms in [Web]. Retrieved from http://forum-network.org/lecture/teaching-standard-english-urban-classrooms

This is the last version I promise

Final Where I am From Video

Double Journal Entry 5

The article clearly states there is a strong relationship between a teachers attitudes and the performance of a student. If the student interprets the teachers attitudes as negative the student tends to perform at a lower level than if the teacher has a positive attitude toward them. We have all been there; if we are encouraged by a teacher or they acknowledge our efforts we work harder which leads to better results, and when a teacher gives you the "cold shoulder" one tends to do enough to barley get through if that.

Assessment pitfalls could occur because a teacher looks at a child and assumes they may speak a language other than non-standard just because of their appearance or because the assessment given doesn't consider the culture the student is raised in. Some things are more important in one culture than they are in another.

The awareness approach allows a student to look at their native language and use it, then compare it with standard English. Critical pedagogy is when a student studies why one language is considered the standard. This is done by looking at which people hold prestigious positions that control the social order. This model declares if you accept to the language you are then accepting the culture too. The critical awareness approaches combines the awareness approach and critical pedagogy here a student is allowed to use their native language, but they also are taught to examine why standard English is the accepted language in the United States. These three approaches allow the students to see their native language as a resource rather than a detriment.

The thought of teaching in a classroom that has students with different dialects doesn't bother me, but I don't feel prepared to teach students who don't speak a form of English. This is because I didn't grow up with any language other than English and don't know any other language. I do believe every child can learn just don't think I'm prepared to teach students that speak Spanish or another foreign language. I am ready and able to teach at a school where the students are diverse concerning their home life and accents or pronunciations of English.

Where I'm from

My Poem

I am from the cabin full of memories from rocky boots and hard work.
I am from the house on a hill with the smell of woods.
I am from the taste of ramps, the white tail buck deer munching on clover.
I am from family reunions at the ole Mobley School and strong values.
I am from the hardworking Harrison’s, stubborn Norris’s, and loving Dulaneys.
I am from never giving up, going to the little white church, and hunting not just for animals but opportunities.
From can‘t died in the poor house and you get out of it what you put into it.
I am from the old rugged cross and prayer without ceasing
I'm from New Martinsville with roots in Ireland, sauerkraut and coleslaw.
I’m from live and learn, work hard, play harder, show love receive law.
I am from my brain injury on May 25, 2005, the love and support of my family and friends through it all.
I am from the brown photo album, my pap’s remarkable journal, and love without end amen.