In class today we turned in our digital stories. It feels good to have ours turned in. I think that we did a great job, and I am excited to see what kind of grade we get.
I have already finished the website assignment so I didn't really need to work on that today. Although, all of the sudden I am missing some of the pictures that I posted under student of the week so I will probably make sure that those are showing up before I call it good to go.
We discussed all of the things that need to be done during field and all of the blogs (5) that will need to be done the week of final. I feel as if I have a good grasp on what needs to be done and when it needs to be done by, so no worries there. I enjoyed class, it was a good review, and hopefully I will be able to stay on top of my field assignments.
Till next week
Adieu
Tuesday, October 28, 2008
New Study Strategy
I am not sure what I wrote down that I was going to do, but what I ended up doing was utilizing some of the things that I have learned for this class when creating a lesson plan for curriculum design.
By integrating some of the methods and philosophies from psychology into my curriculum design lessons I was able to cement the knowledge into my long term memory while learning how to pull it forward into my working memory. For example as I created a lesson plan for a first grade class I tried to keep in mind that the majority of the students would be in Piaget's preoperational stage and may not understand abstract ideas.
I have learned that I need to integrate new knowledge into my everday life and other classes. This will help me to make the connenctions that are necessary in order to store and retrieve information in the future.
By integrating some of the methods and philosophies from psychology into my curriculum design lessons I was able to cement the knowledge into my long term memory while learning how to pull it forward into my working memory. For example as I created a lesson plan for a first grade class I tried to keep in mind that the majority of the students would be in Piaget's preoperational stage and may not understand abstract ideas.
I have learned that I need to integrate new knowledge into my everday life and other classes. This will help me to make the connenctions that are necessary in order to store and retrieve information in the future.
Learning Log #6
Chapter 6 was the focus for the day. We discussed cognitive development and terms such as memory, storage, encoding, and retrieval. We went over the model of memory in detail.
The model of memory begins with information input, then goes on to sensory register, where information is placed into short term (working) memory or lost. Next comes the encoding process where information is stored in the long term memory (or lost). Once it is placed in long term memory it can later be retrieved. Metacognition is thinking about thinking and metacognition underlies the entire model of memory.
Knowing how the brain processes information will be highly beneficial as a teacher. It will help me understand how students transfer information, thus enabling me to teach in methods that encourage information to be transferred. It will also help me to encourage effective study strategies such as organizing, elaborating, and summarizing.
The model of memory begins with information input, then goes on to sensory register, where information is placed into short term (working) memory or lost. Next comes the encoding process where information is stored in the long term memory (or lost). Once it is placed in long term memory it can later be retrieved. Metacognition is thinking about thinking and metacognition underlies the entire model of memory.
Knowing how the brain processes information will be highly beneficial as a teacher. It will help me understand how students transfer information, thus enabling me to teach in methods that encourage information to be transferred. It will also help me to encourage effective study strategies such as organizing, elaborating, and summarizing.
Sunday, October 26, 2008
Reflection #8
It seems like it has been a while since I have posted, but I guess it has only been a week. Our digital story is completly finished, which is great, so I only had to work on a single assignment this week.
This week I worked on my class website. It was a lot of fun. It has a main page with my picture, info about me, and contact info. It also has a pages with a calendar, students of the week, announcements, technology in our classroom, and homework assignments.
This was a great assignment, and it helped to cement the process of a making a site in my head. Every teacher I know has a class website, and I am sure that when I begin teaching I also will have a class site.
It is beneficial to parents as well as students to know what is going on, and have a central place to go when looking for information.
This week I worked on my class website. It was a lot of fun. It has a main page with my picture, info about me, and contact info. It also has a pages with a calendar, students of the week, announcements, technology in our classroom, and homework assignments.
This was a great assignment, and it helped to cement the process of a making a site in my head. Every teacher I know has a class website, and I am sure that when I begin teaching I also will have a class site.
It is beneficial to parents as well as students to know what is going on, and have a central place to go when looking for information.
Tuesday, October 14, 2008
Reflection #7
FINISHED! At least, I think that our digital story is finished. We might try and work on the audio a teeny bitty bit. But, we might not. So we are basically done!!!! Yay just in time for fall break. To have this assignment done, makes me so excited that fall break is beginning to seem like spring break!
Seriously though, I really enjoyed this project, making a digital story is fun. I can't wait to use this in my future teaching career, but also in my life. (Family movies, stories, etc...)
Although we didn't use photo story to do our digital story, I think photo story is cool and I might try it someday. One thing that has really impressed me is how easy all of the different programs are. They are so universally user friendly. Who knew! Well hopefully, we have accomplished our goal, and you enjoy our digital story!
Seriously though, I really enjoyed this project, making a digital story is fun. I can't wait to use this in my future teaching career, but also in my life. (Family movies, stories, etc...)
Although we didn't use photo story to do our digital story, I think photo story is cool and I might try it someday. One thing that has really impressed me is how easy all of the different programs are. They are so universally user friendly. Who knew! Well hopefully, we have accomplished our goal, and you enjoy our digital story!
Learning Log #5
So class was fun as always. We talked a lot about different stages that children go through. The thing that stands out the most for me was the method of memorizing that we learned today. The first step in the process was to memorize the numbers one through eight using visual representations of different items.
1-bun
2-shoe
3-tree
4-door
5-hive
6-sticks
7-heaven
8-gate
The next step was to take the items and tie them in to the knowledge that we were trying to memorize. For example
1-Bun-Trust and Mistrust, we visualized holding a child in one arm while eating a sticky bun in the other. When letting the child taste the bun, we are developing trust, when not sharing we are developing mistrust.
Hence, we used the list to find examples for remembering all of the knowledge that we were trying to memorize. To wrap things up, I am super excited about this method and can't wait to utilize it with the upcoming test!
1-bun
2-shoe
3-tree
4-door
5-hive
6-sticks
7-heaven
8-gate
The next step was to take the items and tie them in to the knowledge that we were trying to memorize. For example
1-Bun-Trust and Mistrust, we visualized holding a child in one arm while eating a sticky bun in the other. When letting the child taste the bun, we are developing trust, when not sharing we are developing mistrust.
Hence, we used the list to find examples for remembering all of the knowledge that we were trying to memorize. To wrap things up, I am super excited about this method and can't wait to utilize it with the upcoming test!
Tuesday, October 7, 2008
Reflection #6
Goodness Gracious! Today was a crazy day in class. We had been working on our storyboards, and I thought that we had a good grasp on what we were going to do. We had started to figure out our narration, music, and images and the order and flow that we wanted them to follow, but then we thought we would switch topics. BAD IDEA
Friday, October 3, 2008
Piagetian Tasks (Learning Log #4)
This was such a fun assignment. I chose do the Piagetian tasks with my three year old daughter. She was excited to help me with my homework and I was excited by the opportunity to involve her.
The first task I chose was to form play dough into balls of equal size. I then asked, do these balls have the same amount of clay? My daughter readily agreed that they did. At this point I smashed one of her beloved play dough balls and asked if they still had the same amount of clay or does one have more than the other? My daughter stated that smashed one had less then the ball, because it was short and not tall.
The second task that I did with my daughter was aligning two sticks of the same length in front of her. I then asked are these sticks the same length? My daughter stated that they were. After she stated that they were the same length, I moved one of the sticks to the right and left the other in place. I repeated the question. This time she stated that they were not the same length, because one stuck out further than the other.
The third task that I did revolved around equal amounts of water. I placed two short cups with equal amounts of water in front of her and asked if they contained the same amount of water? She agreed that they did. Then I poured the water from one of the short cups into a tall, thin cup and asked if they still contained the same amount of water? She stated that they did not, and when I asked which cup had more water she pointed to the tall thin cup.
These tasks show that my three year old daughter is in the preoperational stage of development. Her answers reflect lack of conservation. She is still at a stage where she confuses changes in appearance with changes in amount. (Combine this with her fierce sense of equality and you get one crazy household!)
The first task I chose was to form play dough into balls of equal size. I then asked, do these balls have the same amount of clay? My daughter readily agreed that they did. At this point I smashed one of her beloved play dough balls and asked if they still had the same amount of clay or does one have more than the other? My daughter stated that smashed one had less then the ball, because it was short and not tall.
The second task that I did with my daughter was aligning two sticks of the same length in front of her. I then asked are these sticks the same length? My daughter stated that they were. After she stated that they were the same length, I moved one of the sticks to the right and left the other in place. I repeated the question. This time she stated that they were not the same length, because one stuck out further than the other.
The third task that I did revolved around equal amounts of water. I placed two short cups with equal amounts of water in front of her and asked if they contained the same amount of water? She agreed that they did. Then I poured the water from one of the short cups into a tall, thin cup and asked if they still contained the same amount of water? She stated that they did not, and when I asked which cup had more water she pointed to the tall thin cup.
These tasks show that my three year old daughter is in the preoperational stage of development. Her answers reflect lack of conservation. She is still at a stage where she confuses changes in appearance with changes in amount. (Combine this with her fierce sense of equality and you get one crazy household!)
Thursday, October 2, 2008
Extra Credit Time Article
Fertile Minds is a very interesting article. I am not very knowledgeable about how the brain works, so it was a little bit hard for me to understand everything that this article was talking about. (Although I do feel that I understood the majority of the article.) The beginning of the article discussed how the brain of a fetus begins working before it is fully developed, more so it is necessary for the brain to begin working in order for the brain to develop. This is such a mind blowing idea. My initial thought is that this information makes the question of when is a fetus actually living, much more difficult to answer. (Or easier depending on who is asking.)
I enjoyed that the article discussed that we have the ability to alter the connections or lack of connections in the brain if we work quickly while the brain is still young. The article also touched on the fact that it is no longer nature or nurture yet a combination of both. It discussed the new discovery of the CREB amplifier, which connects development before birth with development after birth. One statement that I enjoyed reading was "Nurture works through nature." What a wonderful thought.
The article mentions repeatedly that the human brain before the age of 10-11 is extremely resilient. It also hits hard on the fact that parents and caregivers play a crucial role in infant brain development. Lastly the article touched on windows of opportunity. It stated that the biggest growth spurt a brain experiences ends by the age of 10. I loved how the article closed by stating an example concerning a brilliant criminal mind and a gift for mathematics, it stated that the two personalities vary simply because of their personal experience in the early years of life.
I enjoyed that the article discussed that we have the ability to alter the connections or lack of connections in the brain if we work quickly while the brain is still young. The article also touched on the fact that it is no longer nature or nurture yet a combination of both. It discussed the new discovery of the CREB amplifier, which connects development before birth with development after birth. One statement that I enjoyed reading was "Nurture works through nature." What a wonderful thought.
The article mentions repeatedly that the human brain before the age of 10-11 is extremely resilient. It also hits hard on the fact that parents and caregivers play a crucial role in infant brain development. Lastly the article touched on windows of opportunity. It stated that the biggest growth spurt a brain experiences ends by the age of 10. I loved how the article closed by stating an example concerning a brilliant criminal mind and a gift for mathematics, it stated that the two personalities vary simply because of their personal experience in the early years of life.
Reflection #5
In class this week we focused on narration and storyboarding. We discussed how our digital story needs to have a strong opening and closing, and follow a format that presents information clearly. I learned that there are three goals when creating a digital story, they are to inform, influence, and touch. Through the use of narration, music, and images these three goals can be met. A digital story contains various elements. Some of these elements are point of view, dramatic question, emotional content, economy, pacing, voice, soundtrack, types of communication. The element of voice consists of three types, they are narrative, informative, and persuasive.
Moving on, I want to touch on storyboarding. Storyboarding is the process of organizing images, text, motion, interviews, and music. As I storyboard it allows me to visualize how my story will be put together. My personal storyboard contains/will contain images, narration, music, transitions, and citations. Storyboarding can be a wonderful aid in the process of creating a digital story.
I am so excited to use digital stories in my career as an educator. One way that I might use digital stories with my students would be as an assignment, what a great way to see what students know. I might also use it to set up a lesson, or hook my students on a certain topic. I could also use it to enhance previously created lesson plans, give them an extra touch. There are countless ways that digital stories can be used in the education process from both the side of educator and student. Digital stories are a wonderful medium, that I am thrilled to be learning about.
Moving on, I want to touch on storyboarding. Storyboarding is the process of organizing images, text, motion, interviews, and music. As I storyboard it allows me to visualize how my story will be put together. My personal storyboard contains/will contain images, narration, music, transitions, and citations. Storyboarding can be a wonderful aid in the process of creating a digital story.
I am so excited to use digital stories in my career as an educator. One way that I might use digital stories with my students would be as an assignment, what a great way to see what students know. I might also use it to set up a lesson, or hook my students on a certain topic. I could also use it to enhance previously created lesson plans, give them an extra touch. There are countless ways that digital stories can be used in the education process from both the side of educator and student. Digital stories are a wonderful medium, that I am thrilled to be learning about.