Krissy Venosdale: If I Built A School
Sugata Mitra: Build A School In The Cloud
I think that Krissy Venosdale and Sugata Mitra showed very good ideas of 21st century learning, and what classrooms would be like if funding weren't an issue. They both are very involved with the technologies of this century. Mitra speaks on the differences of education and tools used for education, comparing them to what it used to be to what it is now. Venosdale shows her creative side as she describes what her designed school would be like. Wouldn't that be nice? If all of these things were at arms reach and available for all teachers and students?! I plan on teaching 3rd-6th grade, and I hope my classroom will be a place where students like to go and they can give a hand in creating a space that make everyone ready to learn and explore! I hope to be teaching history,but in Elementary Education, you are prepared to teach any and all of the subjects. I will emphasize hands on learning and group work. I am sure as we continue through the teaching program here at South we will learn about all kinds of new methods of teaching!
What do you want your students to know(in general)? I want my students to know that each and every person can succeed at anything as long as they believe they can and try! It doesn't matter what color, who you are related to, where you come from, what you look like, or what your parents do for a living, none of that matters! You are your own person. I want to teach children not to judge people because of any of those things. Accepting others, being honest, and hardworking. I want to teach them to be confident and believe in themselves. They should know that they are our future!
What do you want your students to be able to do(in general terms)? I want my students to be able to read and speak fluently. I want them to be able to feel good about themselves while talking in front of the classroom and reading out loud. I want them to want to get involved, and help other students. I want them to ask questions when they don't understand without feeling embarrassed. I also want them to be able to write in a manner that is readable to everyone who reads it. When they leave my classroom I want them to feel like they have learned every lesson that I have taught them and feel confident enough to show others along their journey through school.
What will be your primary way of teaching your students what you want them to know and to do? I feel like I will find new ways to teach as I finish my last year at South Alabama. I will incorporate everything I already know and will continue to learn into my classroom. My number one method will be hands on. I feel like that is one of the best ways to teach so that the students understand. I will always be consistent in my teaching methods, and also change it up so that what I am teaching reaches every student in my classroom. Keeping it interesting will also be a top priority. I will use group work and "student-teaching" along with other methods that I will learn about before I graduate.
What tools will you use in your classroom? tools. I want to keep up with technology but I also want to go back to the basics. I don't want a class that doesn't know how to use every option available. I want to teach students how to use the new technologies available like ipads, computers, internet, and other devices. I also want to make sure that they are aware of the library, encyclopedias, books, and other things that were used before these advances in technologies were so easily available. I do plan on using the SMART board, but I will also have chalk and dry erase boards. I will also incorporate learning games to keep everyone involved. I believe if they enjoy what you are teaching, they will learn it quicker and use it more, than if they think it was boring.
What role will students play in your classroom, i.e. how will they participate in the learning process? Learning Environment. My students will also be my teachers. You learn just as much from your students as they learn from you. I want to allow each student to teach a section of a subject, they will have special projects and group work that they will present to the classroom as the teacher. I want to motivate and inspire them to be confident enough to handle any situations like that.
I love the point that you made, "if funding weren't an issue". If funding weren't an issue in schools day, it would be such a welcoming, fun, creative place to be. School can still have all these qualities, but there would be so much more opportunities. I also think it is important for students to know that their background does not have to reflect their future! So many kids that come from bad home lives may think there is not much hope because they do not know any different. Being able to ask students questions and them not be embarrassed to answer is a big deal for me as well. I was always the quiet girl growing up in school and I did not like to speak out loud in class. As i grew older I realized that is a key to learning even more. I also agree that technology is a big deal in this time period that we are in, but I also think it is important to keep older resources known to the children as well. I love that you mentioned that. Using the library and encyclopedias is almost unheard of now. Stating that your students will also be your teachers was a great point. Students can learn so much from each other. I enjoyed reading your blog!
ReplyDeleteI love your opening quotation but I have never seen it attributed to Benjamin Franklin. This led me to do a bit of searching. This reply to a similar question on Quora is interesting:
ReplyDelete★Where and when did Benjamin Franklin say "Tell me and I forget, teach me and I may remember, involve me and I learn."?Edit
There are some who say this is originally a Chinese proverb but it is generally attributed to Benjamin Franklin.Edit
Robert Frost, engineer/instructor at NASA
I use this quote in an instructional design class I teach, and thus have researched its origin. Benjamin Franklin never said those words, he was falsely attributed on a respected quotation website and it spread from there.
The quote comes from the Xunzi.
Xun Kuang was a Chinese Confucian philosopher that lived from 312-230 BC. His works were collected into a set of 32 books called the Xunzi, by Liu Xiang in about 818 AD. There are woodblock copies of these books that are almost 1100 years old.
Book 8 is titled Ruxiao ("The Teachings of the Ru"). The quotation in question comes from Chapter 11 of that book. In Chinese the quote is:
不闻不若闻之, 闻之不若见之, 见之不若知之, 知之不若行之
It is derived from this paragraph:
Not having heard something is not as good as having heard it; having heard it is not as good as having seen it; having seen it is not as good as knowing it; knowing it is not as good as putting it into practice. (From the John Knoblock translation, which is viewable in Google Books)
The first English translation of the Xunzi was done by H.H. Dubs, in 1928, one-hundred and thirty-eight years after Benjamin Franklin died."
It is also interesting that the quote as stated by Mr. Frost has the word may in what you have as the second sentence: Teach me and I may remember. The may makes a real difference in the meaning of the sentence.
Now beyond the opening quotation
You write: "Mitra speaks on the differences of education and tools used for education, comparing them to what it used to be to what it is now. " Really? I thought his talk was about computers in holes in walls. What video did you watch?
"...to feel like they have learned every lesson that I have taught them..." Hmm.... What about your quotation - especially with may in it?
"consistent" and "always change it up" So what does this mean? They sound like opposites to me.
"I want to keep up with technology but I also want to go back to the basics." "I also want to make sure that they are aware of the library, encyclopedias, books, and other things that were used before these advances in technologies were so easily available." So you will teach ancient history? Will you also cover papyrus, scrolls, slates, stone carvings? What about typewriters? Carbon-paper and mimeograph machines? My basic question is WHY? This also applies to your next sentence in which you say you will use "chalk and dry erase boards." And what about horses, mules, wagons, even walking for the kids to use to travel to school? Maybe sleds as well?
Thoughtful. Interesting.
I have my doubts about your watching Mitra. And I am amused by your need to hold on to the past (and where you draw a line in the past). Should I consider replacing blogs with typewritten posts (and carbon paper copies)? Your advice seems to me to be Yes! I don't think I will follow it!
Dr. Strange,
DeleteThank you for your thoughts on how I should correct my post. I will take all of the things you said with me through the rest of this course and pay more attention to my posts. You show amazing examples of how to "peer edit".
There are a few things I would like to answer back to. I loved my opening quote also, however as you know, I never once thought about it being attributed to Benjamin Franklin. I just really liked what it said!
When I read the sentence about "being consistent" and "changing things up" I meant that I will be consistently the same teacher daily, I have had many teachers throughout the years that from day to day, they weren't sure if they should wear their halo or witches hat! When I said I would "change it up", I meant I would change up my teaching styles to keep my students interested and involved! I see how it was confusing in the way that I wrote it.
Also I read where you thought I may have not watched the video about Mitra, I did. When I read your comment, I went straight back and watched it again to be sure. The second time I watched it, I got way more out of it. I could actually understand what he was saying and explaining.
Finally, I don't think I will have my students walk and ride horses to get where they are going. I will draw the line at the past, I just think it is useful to know how to use some things even though you don't use them everyday(encyclopedias). My example: when the lights go out and we have to cook using something other than the oven and stove, it is very beneficial to have that information. I also substitute, and the grade levels that I substitute for still find joy in writing on the dry erase boards, and for some subjects I think the use of those would be great. That is just my thinking, although I understand your points that you have made. Thanks again!