To Blog or Not To Blog

                                                  

Gone are the days of pen and ink. Technology is placing them in our memory bank and replacing them with computers, iphones, and ipads. Technology is taking over our classrooms as well. New tools are being used to teach students both in the classroom and online. One tool being used more and more often is the Blog.

Blogging is used as an interactive means of learning and has many benefits. It creates discussion within the peer community that would otherwise not take place. Students feel free to share their ideas and brain storming often occurs as a result of this. Blogging enhances the students knowledge and it can also strengthen community.  Perhaps the biggest advantage of blogging is it gives the students some control over their own learning experience. Blogs can help create a feeling of student-centered teaching.
Of course, there are negative sides to blogging and when it should not be used in teaching such as it is just one more venue for some people to spout off and it is one more place where we have to read. Other then that...

           
    I just can't find any.

Whitewater Rafting

 

                                       Well, that didn't work!

My teaching experiences come from working at an Elementary school where I have worked with both second and fifth grades.
I am of the belief that kids should not have to sit at a desk all day in order to learn. I think they can learn best if they are engaged in a specific learning activity that has them out of their seats.
I had the privilege of being able to work in small groups. This made it easier to do the various activities I had planned for them.

One activity was a game I first played with the second graders. We used the hallway as our game board as it had rows of 12' x 12' squares. Each student had their own soft-sided, over-sized dice, which they rolled after answering the problem on the math flashcard I would show them correctly and, being the game piece, they would advance down the hallway. The kids loved playing this because it got them out of the classroom, but also because it helped them brush up on their math skills and practice being quiet in the hallway. They also demonstrated good team work as they encouraged each other, would help count the squares, or help fetch the dice if it went astray. The students also demonstrated good sportsmanship, listening skills, and winning or losing graciously.

It was very successful so, naturally, I played it with the fifth graders. Was that a mistake! Apparently, the older they get, the whinier kids become. And, of course, listening and following directions is a thing left behind in the classroom. Being in the hall meant playtime, rolling dice turned into throwing it down the hall, and losing the game brought pouting. I was so surprised and disappointed by their behavior! Unfortunately, the game never would last long and the students that did do what they were supposed to were so disappointed. I would like to think peer pressure alone would snap some of them into place. Just a look alone from one of those well behaved students should be enough to take care of that!

 So, that game is on the shelf, at least, where older students are concerned. I will just have to stick with staying in the classroom. Or, I could find a heavier dice that they can't throw!

 

Reflections

Strength

For me, the opportunity to read the blogs and responses of my peers and teacher have been very insightful and rewarding. Everyone in our class has so much knowledge, wisdom, and experiences that they have been willing to share. From this, I am able to take away many ideas to use in the future. 

Improvement

An important characteristic to have in any type of endeavor is to be open to healthy criticism and then being able to improve oneself. I realize, for myself, that as an educator it will be especially important to stay organized and not put things off. Teaching and procrastination don't mix. Educators have lots of prep work and can't wait until the last minute to do things.

Insight

When I look back upon these last weeks; the learning styles I have studied and pondered, I realize I went through a wide range of emotions. At one point I found myself becoming very frustrated with the variety of learning styles and the thought that, as an educator, I would have to alter my lesson plans to accommodate the many different students and their specific styles of learning.

However, after watching the movie, Blackboard Jungle, it reminded me of the impact a teacher can have on one's students by taking the time to make a few adjustments to the teaching methods.

This, perhaps, had the strongest impact on me because it helped remind me of my own students and their various habits and learning styles. In the classroom we did a variety of activities, but at the time I wasn't aware of the fact that we were addressing the needs of the students and their learning styles. This will be an awareness I will carry with me as I continue my teaching and education.

Learning Styles Vs. The Teacher

We are all different in everything we do. The way we talk, walk, think, and act is special to each of us. Learning style is another category where we each differ. There seem to be as many learning styles as there are people on the planet. Now we, as educators, have to worry about appeasing each learner and their learning style.

I realize there have been studies about learning style theories for years, but this seems to be one more thing we need to worry about in an already over-worked field.

In the blog, http://victorhugor.blogspot.com/2009/05/learning-styles-theory-at-controversy.html, the author quotes Professor Susan Santo who discusses the controversy in regard to the various learning styles and the fact that there is not an overall theory of learning styles. Santo states, “A major mismatch between instructor style and learners' styles can lead to trouble..." 

It would be impossible to match each students learning style with the teaching style of a facilitator.  What happened to the student taking responsibility for their own learning? Teachers have enough pressure to perform and make sure the majority of their students pass. There aren't enough hours in the day for a teacher to cater to each individual student and make separate teaching plans for everyone.

"If a student does not seem to be learning, consider whether his/her learning style might be at odds with your teaching style. Remain flexible and be able to change planned learning activities if students are having trouble in a given area.”

 The above is a statement from Professor Santo. I think she would have been better off saying that teachers should introduce a variety of lessons that  would address the various forms of learning styles.  I understand that teachers need to remain flexible, but it seems to be asking a bit much to have them alter their lesson plans. 

To Teach or Not To Teach

Our education system is failing. http://hbr.org/2012/03/rethinking-school/ar/1#.T6CWsESvsqQ.mailto  Why? Do the answers lie in the home? Is it the schools? Is there a correlation between increased  technology, childhood obesity, and bad grades? I don't know the answers. I'm not sure any of us do. 

The next thing to do is to ask the question, "What do we do about it?"

There are many ways to teach. There are many ways to learn. However, we have become a "catered-to" society. Everyone expects to have everything tailored to them so do we also tailor teaching to all the different types of learners in the classroom? 

Making Education Bigger

I feel it is time to take a step back and look at where our country is heading and figure out what we can do to help our education system get back on the right track.