Blog Post #11

What can we learn about teaching and learning from these teachers?

In the video I watched, the Blended Learning Cycle, by Paul Anderson, it was very interesting if you asked me.  He showed a picture that was made in France in the 1900s.  The kids where in a classroom and they all had earphones in and books going into a machine, the picture was basically predicting what a classroom would look like in year of 2000.  Blended Learning is taking the compelling parts of online, mobile, and classroom learning and blending them all together in a classroom.  The Learning Cycle is dealing with 5 E's which are engage, explore, explain, expand, and evaluate.

 

In the video, by Sam Pane who is a 5th grade teacher at Wilson Focus School in Nebraska, he told the students that he wanted to focus on how to be a super digital citizen.  Mr. Pane teaches all curriculum subjects math, social studies, reading, and science.  How he introduces what he's talking about, he'll bring up a quote from Spider Man, that says, "With great power, comes great responsibility."  He really made the children think by asking them what kid of power does the internet give us?  A digital citizen is a person who chooses to act safely, respectfully, and with responsibility whenever you are online.  Some examples that the kids responded with when some people are not being these things are hacking into someones computer and giving personal information.  He let his students create a digital citizen super hero, they can customize and do everything with them.  The students are able to create this narrative between themselves and the super hero and put together a full story.  Seeing how the students are excited and really engaged in what they are doing really inspire me because I can't wait to use some of these ideas.

  

Project Based Learning, by Dean Shareski, several of the teachers combined history, english, and information processing and embedded the principle of project based learning to create a unique learning experience for the students.  Research shows that projects increases students engaged in learning and a deeper understanding.  The kids use the technology as a tool to bring the content to life in the classes.

 In Roosevelt Elementary's Project Based Learning Program video, they talked about what PBL was and what it stood for.  Project Based Learning is in depth learning, integrated thematic instruction, based on a "real-world" problem, research-based, and project and presentation.  It is a great instructional approach that tries to incorporate with real-world problem solving skills within the classrooms.  Teachers get together and they collaborate on what projects they are going to do and  how they are going to use the state standards in the project.  In Project Based Learning you have to let the children make some decisions on their on sometimes, you have to let them realize that this is a self motivation thing.  Children learn in so many ways.  Differentiation activities is so easily done with certain units, it allows multiple intelligences and learning styles.