Cognitive Learning

Cognitive learning environments focus on helping students encode information meaningfully to long-term memory so that it can be easily retrieved. I definitely think there are many methods that I can use as a teacher to facilitate this process. Since information is stored in long-term memory usually in either visual images or verbal units (or both) it is important to teach using varied techniques including visual images, verbalization and actually "doing".

I am currently teaching a unit on Alcohol in my Health classes. There are times when students use the textbook to research vocabulary words and key concepts. We also watch videos that show students real brain activity scans that demonstrate how alcohol affects brain activity. The video also shows students what a healthy human liver looks like and one that has been damaged by alcohol. It's one thing to study the effects of alcohol on the body from the text, to read about it and complete worksheets where students organize what the information they gather. However, when students see the effects, they do appear to understand, apply and remember the information better.

We also read and discussed the dangers of driving under the influence of alcohol. Then, I showed a video depicting these dangers, including a story from the Oprah Winfrey Show about a young girl who was burned in a drunk driving accident. The students usually have a stong reaction to what they see and this seems to help them remember the lesson. Then we practice ways to say no to drinking and what to do if the person who supposed to be driving you has been drinking through role play activities. Hopefully, if my students find themselves in one of these situations at anytime in their lives they will remember what we practiced, what they learned and be able to apply that information in their decision-making. I know I can use technology more in this process too. There are a ton of sites dedicated to Health Education including Too Smart to Start where students can play memory games, do crossword puzzles and play other games to test what they remember regarding this particular topic. The textbook Teen Health also offers an interactive site where students can access information, take quizzes, play games, etc. The more varied the methods of teaching, I believe the more likely a student will store that information in their long-term memory.

Create a Radio Station

Wiki, Wiki, Wiki (just like saying it)

I'm having a delayed reaction because I attended Karen's Wiki Workshop weeks ago but wanted to reflect on a few things. First, the workshop was great. It was informative, clearly presented, easy to follow and overall an enjoyable experience. Because I was a novice, I was happy that I was following along in the workshop rather smoothly and I remember showing off the Wiki I had created to my friend Farryl at the end. I had created a Book Club where friends of mine could make suggestions on a book to read and we could use the Wiki to correspond about the chosen book. I remember thinking "this will be great". We always talked about creating a book club and this will be cool! So I sent out the invitations and people joined as members so I was psyched. Then I waited and would check periodically for added comments, book suggestions, anything. Nothing happened. I kind of forgot about it, but was just perusing my Delicious bookmarks and saw the link to my Wikispace. There was still nothing :(. So, I'm not sure where I went wrong. Maybe my friends are novice to the whole Wiki thing too and were scared off. Maybe I wasn't assertive enough in my Wiki follow-up. I'm definitely not giving up on Wikis and I hope Wikis don't give up on me!

Blog Envy

Yes...I'm checking out the blogs of my classmates in TEAM and realize I've been slacking with regard to my blogging. I've noticed blogs with pictures, video clips and all kinds of stuff. My blog is blah in comparison. However, my competitive juices are now flowing and I vow to become a better blogger. Thank you to my fellow classmates for motivating me. In the next week my plan is to let the blogs flow and to enhance my blog with some visually stimulating additions. (uh, oh...i guess now that I put this in writing, I have to do it) Stay tuned...

Learning by Doing Rules!

I worked in a Montessori School as the Physical Education Teacher for almost 2 years (preK-8th grade). I feel Constructivism was definitely at work in that school. Students were actively engaged in their learning. For example, preK and kindergarten kids learning math by lining up and manipulating these strings of beads up and down the hallway. It was common for the 4-5 graders to be up out of their seats, researching or getting supplies for whatever Social Studies project or assignment they were working on (and there was no technology involved...we're talking books, encyclopedias, maps, etc). Student in grades 1-3 sat in groups of tables where one student was assigned as the mediator. If the table had any problems (such as students arguing or not doing what they were supposed to be doing), the mediator would try to settle the issue by leading a discussion and trying to determine a fair outcome before it was brought to the teacher. 6th to 8th graders learned to play steel drums and put on performances, in addition to plays they put together throughout the school year. They were also required to do an internship during the year where they choose someone in the workforce to shadow with for a week. It was amazing to watch everyone take an active part in their learning. Also, certain grades are kept together (preK & kindergarten; 1-3, 4&5 and 6-8). Therefore, there is a lot of interaction and peer teaching that goes on. The teacher really is there to direct and guide the students. There is no "chalk and talk" to speak of. No one ever looked bored and at times it appeared to be organized chaos (particularly with grades 1-2). It was amazing to watch what those students produced and the type of person that graduated from the school. The students were inquisitive, motivated, driven, intelligent, more confident and kept you on your toes as a teacher as they weren't afraid to challenge information (in a respectful way). I don't think it's a coincidence that both creators of Google received traditional Montessori educations. http://www.montessori.org/enews/barbara_walters.html

I went off on a tangent a bit, but just imagine how much more the Montessori experience may have been even broader and hands on if the school I taught in had more access to technology. Although, they did have computers in the 6-8 grade classroom and those grades also used laptops during math and english classes.

I can think of many good student centered lessons I could do in my health classes using technology. I plan to do a unit on Nutrition where students use laptops and the Food Pyramid Guide site to develop a personalized profile where they learn about different foods, healthy weights, levels of activity and they track and evaluate their own diet.
http://www.mypyramid.gov/
This would be a great tool and a good start to teaching students about healthy eating where they are in the drivers seat in regards to learning and designing a personalized eating plan.

TEAM Week 1

Hello. Well, I'm very excited about starting TEAM and there are many things that I am excited about learning. I want to become more comfortable designing and using more sophisticated Power Point presentations in the classes I teach. I think it would also be fantastic getting students to blog about what they are learning in my classes. I also want to learn about web design, inspiration and using technology in student projects (such as making videos, podcasts, etc.). I hope to gain the tools necessary to use technology confidently in my classes and to teach others educators to do the same.