Krissy Venosdale is a teacher who cares a lot for creativity in schools. She believes that once you finish learning you are finished teaching. In her example of the the perfect school Krissy Venosdale has a wonderful idea for a creative and easy flowing learning process. The school is there to grab the attention of the students with neon colors and tree houses in the library. Her school allows students to learn at their own pace and advance when ready. Krissy Venosdale's school not only focuses on the students but the teachers also by having colorful signs in parking lots to remind them of how lucky they are to be a teacher.
I love the use of the comfortable setting she wants to give the kids.I believe that the environment in which the students are in plays a major role in how much they are interested in what they are being taught. If I could create my own school I would like to focus on teaching the students how to "learn". I would like touchscreen computers in the walls of the colorful hallways. So they have the world at their fingertips. I would like to involve the students in more hands on experiences throughout the community. That way they can get a feel of the skills being taught. I would have assistant teachers in every classroom. I would encourage students to take in consideration of their surroundings and the community in which they live. I would make the children realize that people make the world into what it is so they should take precautions of their actions.
I am a blogger
When reading Jennifer Chambers post it made me realize the difference between a person that blogs and a "Blogger". When blogging you are doing it for one of two reasons: have to or want to. In her situation she saw something that was interesting and immediately posted it for the world to see. While doing this she realized that she didn't do it because it was an assignment but because she enjoyed hearing it and wanted to share it. A blogger post videos, articles, and information for the knowledge of knowing not because they are required to.
Eric Whitacre's choir
Jennifer Chambers had an amazing discovery of Eric Whitacre's choir. This choir was organized completely through technolgy. It is so neat how Eric Whitacre was able to unite people from twelve different countries and create a choir that looks like they are all in the same place. The sound is magnificent but doesn't come close to the complexity of the arrangement of different videos placed together as a whole. This choir is a perfect way to show that we can be one even if we are separated over many miles.
Teaching in the Twenty First Century
This presentation broadens the idea of teaching. What should we expect when teaching in the twenty first century? We are no longer teaching the what, when, and how. All of this can be found on the internet. Yes children can teach themselves the facts but can they really understand the concept without a teacher helping break it down? In the twenty first century teachers are wasting time if they teach the facts when the students can access them alone. Teachers should be focused on teaching children how to apply the skills they have been taught. Adults in general need to teach the younger generations how to consider the situation and determine the best decisions to make.
Flipped Classroom
Katie Gimbar's, Dr. Lodge McCammon's, and Ms. Munafo's you tube videos were useful in explaining what flipping is. When "flipping" the teacher takes the lecture out of the classroom and sends it home and changes homework into classwork. This allows the students practice using computers, additional access to review lectures, and more time in the classroom with the teacher to go over questions. In this process the students are able to grasp more information in the same amount of time that is allowed in class during the day.
I believe that this technique will be beneficial to my classroom and plan to use it in the future. I want to extend the time I get to interact with the kids so that I can see who needs more help on each topic. Flipping my classroom is also a good way for parents to see what their children are doing in class and they could participate more in the learning process.
"...teachers are wasting time if they teach the facts ..." I agree. But that is what we test for.
ReplyDeleteThorough. Thoughtful. Interesting. Thanks!
Charlene, you wrote a great post! You were very clear on each topic you researched. I loved your outlook on the twenty first century student, and I enjoyed your sentence, "Teachers should be focused on teaching children how to apply the skills they have been taught." I like this sentences because making material relevant is very important. Many teachers will teach facts in order for students to pass an exam, and I see that as a waste of time. I loved reading your post and thank you for sharing!
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