Tuesday, September 9, 2008
Question of the week
We've really covered alot of material this past week...readings from the text book, the assessment article, and the youtube videos. You've participated in individual activities as well as group work. Let's think practical for a minute or two, what is your current state? How are you assimilating the information you have received up to this point? What mental activities have you been using to work through this material? You can respond to your thoughts about our in-class discussions, readings, activities, and/or youtube videos. Just a reminder to not only post your comment, but reply to one of your peers as well!
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66 comments:
I believe our in class discussions have brought up some very good topics in class(last time about levels of achievement/assessment). The activities give us an opportunity to meet new individuals in the class and as a future teacher we will be doing that from year to year when kids graduate. The youtube videos where very interesting and fun to watch. There was a lot of info. that I didn't know about the world and schooling.
As far as the reading goes I just have to keep hammering away at it and be in a quite room, no distractions. Some of the reading is monotonous, but it must be done. ~ Aaron Robertson
The class is an awesome introduction to the topic of education. I enjoy the activites that we do in the class, I think it helps us understand things more clearly. I can mentally picture good qualities of a teacher in my head and I think the dry erase board activity helped me learn that. I also enjoyed the puzzle piece activity where we all had to move in seperate groups and come back and share to are first group what we had learned. I think this was a very effective group exercise. The class in all has been interesting and I'm excited to come to class every morning.
-Stefan Rechtlich
I thought that the you tube videos were really interesting. I never knew that we have less college graduates than other countries. I just assumed that the US was pretty intelligent, but I guess I was wrong. I think technology is getting bigger and bigger and pretty soon I think that writing with paper and pencils is going to become very rare, and because we are going to be teachers in the future, I think it is important to stay up with technology so the kids are interested in what they are learning.
I also like how we discuss topics in class and I think it helps me learn the material better than taking a test. Therefore, I agree with what Aaron and Stefan said.
The youtube we watched in class really surprized me. I don't have a lot of experience with technology so it's hard to imagine the impact it has on my future students. They referred to kids born in 2007 and it wasn't until I left class that it dawned on me- that's my daughter! I look forward to class because it is somewhat unconventional and we really seem to get a lot more information covered more effectively.
Hang in there Aaron, I like to read but I thought the chapters were exceptionally long. What helped me was filling out those little side reflections every few pages. It's kind of like taking notes and it helps you remember what you just read.
The youtube wivdeos we watched were awesome and made me think a lot. A lot about how much time i spend texting, my last bill had over 6000..ha. And how much time i spend on the computer. It's crazy how fast technology is taking over lives. I love the dicussions we have in class. The debate we had over how to pay teachers kept me very intersted. Discussing these topics in class helps me to learn better about education and teaching.
i agree with katy. we do get a lot covered and its always effective stuff. not just reading and listening to lectures. everyone can get involved and learn from each other.
I really enjoy our class. Its something new and interesting for me.I agree with Chelsea Bauer about the youtube videos.... those are my favorite, they have so much information crammed in that presentation in such a small amount of time! I also liked the group activity we did as a class, that was the first time I actually got the chance to meet some of my other classmates. Im a little worried about finding time to get my 30 hours in for observation but I know I'll find time.
Nicole Whitaker
I will definitely try to fill in the side reflections, thank you Katy. Along the lines of what Katy was saying, I also did not know how much elementary/ middle school kids are depending on the newest technology. For me it will be the case of trying to teach and "old" dog new tricks. Even though I am not that old. ~ Aaron Robertson
As far as how this class is going, I love all the discussions that we participate in. The puzzle activity is very helpful. It helps us translate the text into layman’s terms from our fellow classmates and I am sure it is of use to those of us who could not fit the reading into our schedules. This is an exercise I will definitely use in my classroom.
The Shift Happens video really opened my eyes as to how we as teachers hold great responsibility for preparing students for jobs and problems that we do not even know exist yet. It is very hard to imagine the methods of teaching that we will use in a few years and I think that is extremely important for us as future educators to remain in touch with the times.
Andrea Layton
I really enjoyed our class discussion. I sometimes tend to see only one side of an argument and hearing other peoples' opinions helped me to see the different sides of the issue. In addition, I really enjoyed the you tube videos. It made me think a lot about how much technology effects teaching. I think it is important to incorporate new technology into lessons so as to keep the kids interested and up to date. This class really makes me think about different approaches to teaching that make normally mundane topics seem interesting.
I agree with bandman about how the activities we do in class help us meet new people. I tend to be a little shy, but I already feel like the group work we've done has helped me. I plan on incorporating some of the lessons we have done into my own teaching style.
I think that this is a really great class. Since there is a lot of information presented, the amount of interaction and discussion is great. It helps to remember and to apply the information. The videos that we watched were really interesting to see the statistics.
I agree with several of you when you said that the videos we watched were suprising with the information shared. Also how important technology is and how involved it will be in our everyday lives.
So far I'm loving class. I know I want to be a teacher and I love being able to learn more about it and get input from others with my same passion. I like mixing things up in class. I enjoy doing group activities and having class discussions about important topics. I really liked the youtube videos. It gave me an entirely different perspective on the future of children and teaching. I've been pushing through the reading outside of class, because I know it's important. I just have to find a quiet place and really concentrate on what it's saying. I can't wait to start observations though! It should be fun.
I liked what Chelsea said. Discussing everything in class and engaging the students helps us learn more than memorizing facts and taking tests. I also liked her comment on how teacher in the US have to keep up with the changing technology and the changing world.
vThis class is definately the most interesting class I have this semester so reading through the material doesn't seem like as much of a chore as it does for other classes. However, one strategy I use for remembering information is writing down things from the book that I think are interesting on post-its. That way I can go back later to remember the things that were most important. I also think the Jigsaw activity was really helpful because you retain the most important information from each chapter.
I agree with Sarah. I also like it that we don't do the same things in class each week. I like that we know the general sebject but not the activities and things we will be doing.
From the past two weeks of school, i'm consumed alot of useful infromation. The Youtube video's we watched last week were very enlightening. I never knew that other countries had more devolped, and more college graduates just like chelsea said.
I've found it easier for me to follow along and relate to the reading when i use highlighters and post-it notes. i use the post-its to make notes on the paragraphs which i could go back to, to remember the reading.
Being in this class is making me even more excited to be in a classroom teaching to children and interacting with them. The discussions have been really good topics that are interesting to hear how others feel about certain situations. The videos that we have watched have been really inspirational in many ways. The readings are long but its stuff that catches my attention and is interesting.
I agree with katy when she talks about the youtube videos. The videos had very interesting facts that caught me off guard with the statistics.
I really like reading and learning everything about what it takes to become a teacher and the exciting things that go along with it. The youtube videos and articles really opened my eyes to the issues going on in the world of education today and really gained my interest.
I agree with Katy. The youtube videos really suprised me about the US having less college graduates than other colleges and being less intelligant.
I also agree with Courtney, these group discussions help up meet new people. I know there are allot of freshman in this class and I’m sure it helps them open up allot more. These are people that we are going to have in most of our classes the rest of our time here at LU and it’s always helpful to know more people.
I really enjoy talking in class about all the things that we cover bacause it gives me a chance to see what other future teachers are thinking about. Besides bloging and group discussions I've taken it upon myself to keep a jounal dedicated to teaching. I write down little things that catch my attention in class or in the reading that I think will be important to me later on, like methods for gaining a classes attention or comments I had about the you tube videos.
I agree with Courtney B's comments about the youtube videos. Teaching isn't always about the quantitative measurement of knowledge. It's about providing our students with the tools they need to construct their futures and make themselves sucessful in our changing world.
So far my favorite parts were definately the youtube videos. They were very interesting. It showed that times are changing and we need to change with them. The discussions have been really well. A lot of the time it seems like when we talk, we are teaching one another. The most interesting part of the class is the fact that we all get to converse with eachother and meet new people.
I agree with Aaron on the readings. They are very monotonous. I must have total concentration and no distractions to get the readings done. But like you said it must be done.
I believe that a lot of the material we have covered in class has helpes me during my observations. I am able to look at the students in a different perspective and i have a lot more respect for the ways teachers handle various situations. I absolutely loved the videos we watched on the 9th. They were so inspiring; I would really like to show them to my classes my first year teaching.
I definitely agree with what Bridget said. It is nice to be able to not only effectively learn without taking a bunch of notes and doing tests; It is especially nice to be able to learn and interact with our peers- something we can rarely do in other classes.
There really HAS been a lot of information cramped into a little amount of time, but I'm getting it. The in class video's and activities not only taught me new information, but also taught new ways of presenting information. Reading can go pretty slow, but for me it always goes slow. lol. I think overall, everything is going smoothly. =] (knock on wood)
-Tony Blecher
Hi Courtney! I'm glad to hear you're liking the class =]. I like it too. You brought up a good point about the in class discussions. I'm looking forward to going over chapter three together =]
i thought that youtube video of all the statistics was very interesting and i also thought it was good to hear what everyone said during our discussion. i also liked how we went over our reading because this class only meets once a week so its a good refresher/
I agree with chelsea when she said that teachers have to keep up with the changing technology and the changing world, and i also agree with a few people saying that the reading was monotone and hard to concentrate therefore i really like the discussion that help smooth things out between the chapters.
I believe our class discussions brought us together even though we all were from different states. My favorite were the youtube video because it really made we think critically. Technology can be beneficial, but sometimes we over abuse it. Think of how much time we use the computer, cell phones, and video games. Thats a lot of time and money that could have went towards something else.
I agree with Stacy that the readings are good, but discussing the material in class the next day reallys helps me see the picture they are trying to get across clearer.
i never really realized how important technology is and will be in the future until we saw the youtube videos in class. It was really nice to break the monotony and get out of our seats to do the discussion activity. It also got the people who didn't read up to speed. I'm enjoying class a lot and am looking forward to doing my observation, i just hope i can find the time.
I'm going to agree with pretty much everyone on the reading being boring and stuff but it has to be done. Like i said earlier, the discussions help a ton especially if you forget to read.
I was very interested in the youtube videos. They showed a lot of information about the internet and other forms of information that I never knew. The world of schooling became clearer to me as a result of watching these videos. I never would of thought that the most powerful country in the world would have the far less college graduates than lots of the other countries in the world. This is what shocked me the most about the youtube videos.
As far as agreeing with someone goes I would have to agree with what Katy said. This class teaches us a lot of educational information in an interesting way involving computers and group learning. I look forward to learning what it takes to become a successful and effective teacher.
well i am pretty sure everyone loked those vids, but what got my attention was the discussion during class i am glad to hear evry part of those few pages. that helped me out alot.
well i agree with alot of people when they say that the you tube vids were very knowledgeable
I think the dry erase board activiity helped me out the most. I liked being able to see/compare the qualities of a good and bad teacher. I also liked the youtube video, i thought it was extrmemly creative and very informative. I also like the debate over test based funding. i thought that the debate really gave a wide variety of positive and negavive points. All in all I think the class is a lot more interesting than what i expected. I just assummed the main part of the class would be observing, but the disccussions and debates help me understand the issues, debates and topics that are in modern teaching. - Ben Weeks
I think the activities, discussions, and videos we've seen in class have really kept me interested in the lessons. Just reading out of the book can be so boring, but when we go over things in class and do group work it really gets you more involved and keeps you focused on whats going on. I really enjoy this class.
I really thought the youtube videos were rather insightful. Just for the simple facts it showed that nobody thinks off. Myspace would be the 8th largest country in the world. A world that would consist of electronics and cyberspace.
i agree with courtney. The classroom really opens up your eyes esp. if you tend to be close-minded. It shows u different views and different ways people think. It shows me that there are more than one way to do something or ways to solve a problem.
As I intern as a high school football coach, they other coaches, who obviously are teachers first, are giving me really great advice and pointers here and there about what it takes to be a good teacher in today's schools. But this class is also showing me other ways and introducing material in so many ways it's really soaking in. I really enjoyed the group work, it was nice to get some other students input as they learn the material with me.
I also agree whole-heartedly with Kimani about how we over-abuse technology. While it is a wonderful tool, our dependence on it will eventually hurt us.
I agree with what stefan about the group activities. By actually participating in activities you get a better understanding of the topic at hand.
I really liked the youtube videos. I had no idea that China would be the largerst english speaking country in the near future! I like the group puzzle activity because it helped me learn about the chapter, along with meeting some of my fellow class mates.
I agree with stacy too! The readings are very important but it helps to talk about them in class just incast I did not understand a particular part.
i think anything that teachers do in class like the youtube vid. that we watched in class will help students if they can reconize it and learn from it.
The class is a very active group that all want to learn new things which is an amazing thing for being an 8 in the morning class.
i agree with nicole by saying that she likes the class discussions. they really do bring up every side to the conflict. its a fair and equal way to figure things out.
Everyone mentions how the youtube videos were so fun and I think it was fun to learn stuff from a new source. Not many teachers have gone on the internet to show you something new.
I thought the youtube videos were really good, but I think the class discussions are the best way to learn. It gets everyone involved and you can hear everyone else thinks.
I agree with Sean, we are a very active class for 8 in the morning!!
hi!
Hello. This is Rebecca Peddicord. The topic of discussion that has affected me most as an individual and as a future teacher is when we talked about the formative assessments. That very next day I took a quiz in another class and did not score what I had hoped. It left me with feelings of anxiety and worry; I even thought about changing my major. Those are not the type of tests I want to give to my middle schoolers right before they enter the world of High School. I also liked the youtube videos that told us about the lack of learning that we have in America. So many children just don't care anymore, and if we dont change right now, we will fall behind and no longer be a global force to be reconed with. That makes me want to be a teacher even more because I believe I can change the world one student at a time.
I agree with Julie and Sarah about the different events we do each week. Believe it or not, I am actually excited to go to my 8am education class every Tuesday. By mixing things up every week, I am excited to see what we're going to do next and for once I really feel engrossed with the subject I'm learning. I also like Julie's ideas of writing down important notes on post-its. I sometimes have a little trouble remembering the important details and I think that would help a lot. Thanks Julie!
-Rebecca Peddicord
Unfortunately, im missing out on the class discussions. But i feel that the hands on experience of shadowing is making up for that.I really enjoyed the videos. I never noticed how much teaching styles have changed/ needed to change as the years move on.
I can relate to Chelsea. I knew that there were many uneducated people in our country but i never imagined it to be that extreme to where another county's honor student population exceeds our country's regular population.
I absolutely loved the video we watched about the teacher at dinner talking about how much he makes. I think that is one of the most passionate speeches I've ever heard, it really brought to attention a lot of things that teachers do but don't get credit for. I also like the way we do class work, you let us work with each other to help develop and expand our ideas and we get a need point of view on things.
I agree with Tony that it is a lot of material but you are making it a lot easier to absorb the information and you help us genuinely understand the information you are giving us.
hearing Erin gruwell's perspective on overcoming the difficulties of the inner-city problem kids was a nice contrast to the surface problems of all the teachers i've encountered. She was put into an evironment that was completely opposite of her normal element. However, she took was she was given and created something beautiful. Hearing her experience and story about maria and the rest of her first year kids was motivating. it makes you think maybe one day when i'm a teacher i can make a difference too.
i agree with shaun i liked the youtube videos because it was something different other than just reading.
Im very happy with this course. I have been taking notes on the important information. I really love going to my class. AThey call me Mr. Hanmore. I think it sounds funny. :)
Shaun right its nice to watch a video for learning then to read all the time.
This class definitely is/was a well rounded "orientation" to the whole spectrum that is being an educator. The videos have all been informative and educating, and some of them just amusing.
-Devin Lowe
I think that this class has done a great job of showing this new batch of teachers (us) how to incorporate several different teaching styles/methods to help students learn. There are a lot of in class discussions. We go over what we've learned and what our take on what we learned was with our fellow classmates. That repetition, plus sharing our take, means that on some level we have to understand the material we are discussing. The u-tube videos are another great way for my peers and i to get a better handle of the material we are learning. Im a big visual learner and i love having examples so videos are great. Plus, i agree w/ what Chelsea Bauer said: "Because we are going to be teachers in the future, I think it is important to stay up with technology so the kids are interested in what they are learning."
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