Please post here for classes on Oct. 28 & Nov. 2. We started our work on writing lesson plans and examined the structure many lesson plans follow. Then we got into groups to try our hand at writing the plans, using magazines, newspapers and books. These plans will be presented in class in approximately three weeks and can be part of the final portfolio. We also are continuing our research paper presentations, following the first one on social networking. Feel free to make any comments on the papers.
Social media has been existing for many years; before facebook there were xanga, msn space, etc. However, facebook truly revolutionize social media and what it really means. It changes people's lifestyle, the way they communicate, and people check it regularly few times a day. In terms of education, it is very hard to change whether it is beneficial or harmful. Facebook creates a platform that allows us to communicate better and share all of our life onto the internet. At the same time, it creates privacy issues. Some may argue facebook makes students addicted to go online and look at their friends' status; yet, everything on your laptop computer has this problem, including msn, google, xanga, blogspot, etc. We cannot eliminate them. On the other side, facebook allow you to find friends you have lost for many years; and since we check facebook regularly, we can communicate about projects and meeting with facebook messages. It's really a tool, like many other tools, that can do us harms and benefits. It is the educators and parents' responsibility to think of how to maximizes its benefits to students and reduce the harms of it.
ReplyDeleteIn terms of google, I (personally) can only find benefits to it. 1. I can literally find EVERYTHING on google. 2. Google has the amazing ability that organizes everything within your homepage, including email,calender, reminders, documents, academic journals research, news, weather, stock prices, you name it, they have it. I must agree at some points, there is too much information on google. However, as long as people know how to use google well and organize the information well, I really do not see the problem of it. I am writing from a google's fan point of view.
I enjoyed all the presentations today and last week, especially the ones about use of facebook and other technology devices and how those can impact our education. I personally use facebook and other social networks on a daily bases. I agree I may be addicted but I would not blame those who made these sites for my addiction. Facebook was first used to connect with others and family, now it is used to stalk and post ads for commercial purposes. People have found ways to turn this positive thing to something really disturbing. For instance, the rape videos posted on facebook of the poor girl at a house party. Also, my friends have posted mean things about others when ethically we know such comments should be keep private like through emails or private personal message between the two parties rather than on public display for 500people to read. I don’t think using technology or social networking sites would harm education of children. Lack of conventional social interaction between youths can be compensated through lunch or afterschool play. Regardless, as long as we monitor them accordingly by teaching them what is more important, work or play? I believe kids can and know the right answer. Like discussed in class, technology is advancing at a speed we cannot keep up. Nonetheless, the only thing we can do is to keep self-improving ourselves and controlling the amount of time we spent on computers and twitter. If we eliminate all technology, we will remain stuck in the past where everything is done by hand and we won’t be moving forward.
ReplyDeleteFor this weeks blog I would like to begin by discussing the readings associated with it. We live in the western world where technology is very popular. Even in some lesser developed countries we see how the internet is an important part of daily life. I believe that this is all associated with living in the 21st Century. Technology has come a long way, and it is a way of every day life. In most university classrooms about 40% of students do not use a paper and pen anymore, yet they use a laptop with internet. I am not a fan of this. I understand that it is probably faster to type, look up information, and more convenient. I however, prefer my paper and pen.
ReplyDeleteGoogle is very beneficial, for anything that I am unclear about I immediately open Google and search for the meaning and definitions of things. It is a very fast way of looking up information. I truly, and I am sad to say this, do not remember the last time that I have opened up a book to find the meaning of something,unless of course I have a research paper. Technology and Education is a great way to learn; however, I do believe that it takes away from person to person interaction. It is obvious that as the years go by that it will be mandatory to use a laptop in class and search things. Technology is progressing at a very high speed, and it is only normal that education will follow that.
Next, I would like to discuss the presentations today. I thought that each person did a great job, and all the topics were extremely interesting.
I would like to focus on the presentation on the Montessori method. I see how this method can have a great outcome for a child. The Montessori method gives children freedom, and lets their inner desire to learn come out. Before today's presentation I did not know much about the Montessori method. However, I believe that by letting a child 'do their own thing' it can benefit the child greatly, such as giving the child more confidence, and the ability to be independent. In my opinion I believe that the child learns more this way. The first 7years of a childs life is when the child does the most learning, therefore, needless to say the environment in which a child finds himself/herself is very important.
As time passes and we move forward our teaching methods should also fallow. Technology has been a part of the education system for many years and with the new development of each technology, educators have found ways to use them as teaching tools by incorporating them into their classrooms, some more effectively than others. For example radio, film, and TV have all been incorporated in schools for many years. How many people remember watching films in elementary, high school and now in university?
ReplyDeleteI think the problems that rises from the use of technology in schools is not the technology it self but rather the lack of training and resources teachers are given. We need to start moving away from “traditional” teaching methods and start to engage students by helping them learn using relevant and familiar tools such as computer, internet and etc. It is because of these new technologies that education no longer means what it did in the past. We need to use technology as teaching tools to engage students and to provide them with a new medium to express them selves, by moving away from one dimensional text book reading, and standardized testing.
Here is a great way to use technology in the classroom. Instead of writing a standard 5 paragraph essay why not encourage students to make a short film? In order to make the film they would need to write a script (you can use this to evaluate their writing skills), they need to organize their ideas so it flows and is cohesive; they need to be creative in the way they present their film. They can work in groups or partners which will also teach them social skills. By using technology as a teaching tool you are encouraging students to connect and develop their various skills and use it in a practical and meaningful way. You make learning relevant, challenging and fun. Believe it or learning is supposed to be fun!
I know this might sound expensive and time consuming but to deny the need to incorporate technology in the education system is to stay rigid and refuse to meet the changing needs of children in the 21st century. Technology is a big part of our lives to I think we need to also make a big part of our schools. This doesn’t mean allowing children to spend countless hours roaming around on internet but rather we can teach children effective and safe ways of using technology to help them develop practical skills that they will need in the real world.
Researching a topic like Montessori made me realize just how little I knew about the Traditional school system. From pre-school through Grade 7 I was educated in a Montessori classroom, therefore it is the only style of education I know when reflecting upon early childhood. I actually do not know how a regular Grade one classroom operates. Does everyone sit in rows? How are the lessons delivered? Is it the same or similar to the experience I had in Grade 8? All these questions are things I took for granted because I never really thought my education was all that different, but I think i’ve learned that it clearly was.
ReplyDeleteDiscussing the topics of technology in the classroom and Aboriginal schools was also very thought provoking. Both topics are very controversial and rallied another interesting conversation amongst our classmates. I’m sure the chatter surrounding both these topics will go on for a very long time, if not for ever.
I found the opportunity of seeing a lesson plan and having the chance to create a lesson plan in groups very helpful because it helped me understand the step in developing lesson plans, which is very useful in my current career path.
ReplyDeleteA lesson plan is a lot more complicated then I imagined it to be, there are several main steps to follow in making a lesson plan. The first step in developing a lesson plan is determining the curriculum, what is the objective of the lesson? What do you want students to learn? The second step is determining the students past knowledge about the topic. The third step is to provide instruction on the lesson plan and provide students with the material needed. The fourth step is to model the lesson plan. The fifth and final step is to determine a way in evaluating what the students have learnt.
I never knew the meaning of Montessori school, until I heard the presentation. I found it to be a very interesting way of teaching students, and in helping them develop independence, but I truly don’t understand the reasoning behind having schools like this when they only go up to grade 10. Doesn’t this type of learning clash with today’s society where everything is so structured? Is it better to teach children in the traditional classroom setting all throughout life since they’re university education will be taught in such manner? Wouldn’t that help increase the probability of success?
In Tuesday’s class, we started making a lesson plan. Our lesson plan is still in process, but during discussion with my group members, I noticed one thing. We mainly discussed what we want to teach, how to teach, what materials are need etc. When I discussed regarding how part, I noticed that some teachers typically think how “efficiently” they teach rather than how “interestingly” they teach. I think efficient learning and interesting class have relationship. Even if the materials teachers teach and the way of teaching is effective, if the class itself cannot attract students, it won’t be the perfect. So, through this class’s experience, I would like to think how I can combine both interesting portion and efficient portion to create a lesson plan.
ReplyDeleteIn terms of reading, I thought that teachers in twenty-first century need to take care of more matters compare with twentieth. Environments surrounding students changed dramatically during past ten years. These are the internet expansion, increasing the rate of divorce and increasing child crime. Teachers should not deeply be involved in students’ life, but since students tend to have no support from outside, they are the only persons who can notice students’ change. Even if the thing teachers can do is talking to students, it may help them a lot. I think primary requirements of good teachers in twenty-first century are personality strength and interpersonal skills rather than subject knowledge.
The presentations this week were all interesting and thought provoking. Before listening to the talk on the Montessori school system I had a vague idea of the methods used. However, listening to the history of the school’s program made me wander just how good it is for children today as their sole system of learning; particularly in light of contemporary requirements placed on students when they graduate. In 1907 it was an experiment, the methods of which enabled poor Italian children with no previous formal education to learn. As such its free approach to learning would have been a novel method of enticing these naturally free spirited children to embrace education. As a method of enticing similarly situated children into a love of learning, its methods are still valid today. Similar methods are used in alternative schools where pupils, who for various reasons are unable to respond to the mainstream methods of education, have shown the desire to learn. Even as part of the more formal system, its ethos can, and has, been incorporated as a method for any number of subjects: biological experiments, understanding of math concepts, historical investigation etc. However, as the presenter pointed out, on leaving the Montessori environment she was surprised by the requirement to conform to the more formal methods of mainstream education which prepare us for the “real world”. As already stated there is certainly a place for Montessori methods within the mainstream system, as a tool among the variety of teaching methods that can help children to learn. Besides which we are all individuals who respond differently to different stimuli, and our free thoughts and critical thinking should be encouraged. Without them the creativity, and inventiveness that advances society in so many good ways would be stifled.
ReplyDeleteThe technological advancements that have taken over our lives are both a crisis as well as a blessing. I hear many adults criticizing my generation's ability to converse with one another, as well as our lack of patience. We live in a world where patience is almost non-existent. Everything is instant nowadays. For example, writing letters--a thing of the past--seems like a very outdated method of communication. Tell anyone in the 21st century that that will be their sole method of communication, and they'll laugh in your face! Cell phones and the internet have made communication instant, and the need for patience is eliminated when in need of a quick response. Although this is a very efficient method of communication, it is resulting in a world that may be too fast-paced. Since employers, for example, know that the means for communication are readily available, they may expect much more from their employees. As a result, the employee may be overworked and overly stressed. On the other hand, this efficient communication allows us to get a lot of work done quickly during our busy lives.
ReplyDeleteThe presentation on the Montessori-type learning method was very intriguing. Personally, I believe that this type of learning would benefit a child who is advanced in terms of education in comparison to his peers. If a child's level of education is significantly greater than the level of education they are being taught, it almost seems like a waste for them to sit in the class and wait for the lesson to progress as soon as the rest of the classmates catch up. By working at their own pace, they can really show what they are capable of. This applies to other students as well; sometimes one needs to spend more time on a certain subject and less on others, so this method would be beneficial to demonstrate exactly where they are excelling or struggling. As our presenter mentioned, though, listening skills are greatly affected, and these are essential life skills that need to be learned.
There were some really interesting topics brought up in the papers presented this week. All of which could take up this journal entry. In particular I wanted to comment on the paper about Montessori schools. To be even more specific I wanted to reflect upon one comment thread that was brought up. Multiple people asked about the form of competition in school systems, wondering if it was present in this education style. Some more comments surfaced around the necessity of this competition in school and wondering if this form of education would create a misrepresentation of the world. I have been thinking about our lifestyles, the way we are educated and the ecological reality we will soon be facing. Perhaps not everyone would agree in the class but I think that if we don’t make major changes to the way in which we live that we will enter into a period of great environmental uncertainty and I don’t know what the repercussions will be for humanity. Sorry, I know this is kind of heavy and potentially viewed as extreme.
ReplyDeleteIf you look at our economic systems the Free Market and neoliberal agendas are in my opinion the main things driving this crisis. They are systems based on competition, exploitation, individual rather then collective etc. Do we have an education system that not only teaches but also allows students to embody these principles? I can’t say directly yes but I would argue we do to a large extent. So are these models of education that teach other ways of being a good thing? I certainly do not want to discredit teachers and the profession… there is a lot of amazing things that happen through the public school system but should we be questioning this sense of absolute competition? I also know it is not present in all classrooms but the educational system in practice encourages it. There is healthy competition but when is the line crossed?
Today, Evelyn shared a very interesting narrative about the effects of using Facebook on students. I can definitely relate myself to her stories. I find that Facebook is a great way to stay in touch with friends that do not live in the same city as I do. However, it’s ineffective to send message over Facebook to a closed friend that you see almost every day. Facebook is a great way for social interacting and sharing photo memories, but can be addicting and time consuming. This could potentially disrupt our concentration on studying.
ReplyDeleteI would check Facebook every time I turn on my computer. I think it has become a habit for me to check Facebook and see if there’s any new message, even though I know I should not be getting any new message within one hour. This habit worsens when I start checking facebook during my break. A break should be a time when I should relieve tensions and stress. However, after checking Facebook, I feel more tired and therefore I cannot continue on my studying. I realized this problem earlier and I had to quit Facebook for a while during the finals. It helps me concentrating on my studying but on the back of my head, I still had an urge to go on Facebook.
There was also a time when I connected Facebook messaging to my SMS. I thought it will reduce my time logging to Facebook. However, this did not reduce but rather increase my time on Facebook. The message that being sent through my cell phone will often cut off and end the sentence with “….” . This actually causes me to be more curious about what the other person is saying. Apparently, I would log on to Facebook and read more. Now, I turn off the SMS function and I feel that I have more time to concentrate on other things.
In conclusion, I enjoy using Facebook and how it connects our memories and friends together. However, spending too much time on Facebook is detrimental and can affect our studying. There should always be a balance in using any technology.
I’ve always known I wanted to teach, but I have never determined why I have such a drive to become a teacher. Reflecting on my personal experiences I think there are multiple factors contributing to my ambition to become an educator. Recently I changed and expanded the subjects that I want to teach, so my aim is to be able to teach Home Economics, French immersion and History in high school. Although, my desire to become a teacher started at a young age, I believe that all my teachers along the way have influenced greatly on my goal. The majority of my teachers have been very passionate about their work, which rubs of on the students encouraging them to dream big and work hard to reach their goals. I believe that a teacher can make or break a student’s desire to learn, and I hope to become a teacher who is encouraging and help others expand their vision of the world, even if it is one recipe, one verb test or history lesson at a time. Furthermore, children and adolescents are generally willing to expand their knowledge, gain a new understanding of other cultures; they are a source of untapped passion with a desire to grow. As a teacher I want to contribute to expanding the knowledge of students, however I know I will also be able to continue learning from students and at the end of the day that is an environment that I want to be a part of. I am not going to find the cure for cancer, I will never go to Mars, but how amazing would it be if one of your students aspired to one of these goals and you were able to assist them on their way to reaching their dreams.
ReplyDeleteWorking on the lesson plans was very interesting. I really enjoyed planning what the aim for the lesson was, and figuring out what was needed to ensure that the lesson ran smoothly. Especially for new teachers, it will be crucial to have well thought out lesson plans therefore you best prepared for leading a class until you gain the practical experience. Once you have an organizational system for the lesson plans, it would be easy to pair each lesson with narrative which would help make each lesson better for the students and teachers every time you re-do it.
Writing a lesson plan is way harder than I have imagined. I have never thought there is rationale behind any lesson and curriculum. Our group was doing a lesson on sweatshops to grade 10 students. At first it was hard for us to come up with ideas of how we teach and what should we teach. We figured that there was no perfect answer or solution to solve the problem. we could not help the sweatshop workers by refusing to buy the products because they might end up somewhere worst, nor buying more products, because in that way we were supporting the sweatshops. In the end we finally decided our lesson should focus on geometry and third world countries. We decided that students should do some researches on their clothing and where they were made from, so they gained a better understanding about where the sweatshop situations exist. It was really fun that we were actually conducting a lesson plan and brainstorming with my group mates was really a fantastic experience.
ReplyDeleteDuring the presentation I talked about the ubiquitous computing technology and the incorporation in education. I wanted to share this with the class not only because I am from computing science, but I find that interesting. We are so used to technology and handheld devices right now, and we do not even realize the incorporation in education. Like in SFU, we use computers all the time to complete and submit assignments, achieve collaborative learning by forum, chat rooms. The next step to make this technology even more successful is dependent on the knowledge of the teachers or professors. Usually teachers in the professional field, they know their materials, but they do not know how to incorporate technology into the classroom. I wish the government can fund the schools and provide better training to the future teachers, so we do not waste the technology we have.
I was really looking forward to learning how to write lessons plans. I kind of feel like creating these lesson plans are kind of like my cirlces which i have done in the past in my work. I have planned out many of my circles and many of my days at the out of school care where i work. we have done lots of themed program planning which reminded me of it while we were working on it as a group.
ReplyDeleteSince we have a larger group we had to develop a second part of our lesson plan which i though wopuld be no problem but in fact we needed to actually sit and think about logical activites or games as a continuation of the 1st half. I always enojoyed doing these types of things and it involves being creative and putting yourslef out there. Children will be more engaged by the lesson plans if thought is put into it and i think that is what helps children learn being able to keep them engaged in the topic.