PP Investigation

I learned a lot from this assignment as well as all of the other assignments that we have had in this class. I already made contact with both of my group members from the first assignment because we had other classes together. This made it tremendously easy with the first group project. However, this was a little more difficult, I sent out my cell # because that is the easiest way to reach me but only one of my group members responded and she became the middle man for me because she was the only one who ever responded. It taught me to check my email everyday. (Which I should already do anyway.) I am glad I had the privilege to work with diverse personalities and ideas. This assignment taught me how to teach students how to work together collaboratively. It also allowed me the student's point of view and to keep an eye out for who is contributing and who is not.

Prensky Text

The Prenksy text offers some great, valuable information for teachers. First, Prensky discusses what students want and what they do not want in the classroom. For example, students do not want to be lectured to. However, students do want to be respected, to be trusted, and to have their opinions valued and count. They want to follow their own interests and passions. Moreover they want to create using the tools of their time. Teachers must respect the past but live in the future. They should coach and guide their students through a path of success. Teachers can find what students are passionate about and use it to their teaching advantage; using the current tools of technology, if possible. As one of my group members said in our wiki,'"We are all teachers and learners". We should try and find our students passions, so not only we can find out more about them, but they can find out more about themselves. It is our job to learn what our students’ passions are and help them discover them for themselves. In the text, it offers tips on how we can gather, record, and use this information. In the beginning, it is very important for teachers to explain to students the role of the teacher in the class and the role of the student."' Out of all of the information discussed in Prenky's text, I feel that this is the most important. If students aren't interested or engaged in what they're learning then, they are not learning anything at all.

Constructivism

Constructivism is a learning theory found in psychology which explains how people might acquire knowledge and learn it. Basically, it is how people learn. With that being said, there are many different learning styles. For example, some people learn by doing and need hands on experience. On the other hand, other people may learn better by listening or reading directions. Moreover, there are some people who like to be shown; they like to have someone model an example for them.

The Flipped Classroom

 

 

What is a flipped classroom? Well, it is a classroom that inverts traditional teaching methods, delivering instruction online outside of class and moving homework into the classroom. In addition, students watch videos and lectures at home at their own pace, collaborating with their peers and teachers through online discussions. The students are taught to be good digital citizens. The instructor serves as a facilitator in class by guiding instruction. Educational technology and activity learning are two key components of a flipped classroom. Basically, a flipped classroom is similar to hybrid or blended college classes.

Module 1- 21st Century Skills

 

I found this topic very interesting upon research. One of the things that I enjoyed reading about was the Are They Really Ready To Work report. I found this interesting because, looking back on high school, I can't really think of anything that would have helped me in work. However, I did take a home class where we had to take home the fake babies and we were taught how to make baby blankets, etc. I also took ag as an elective my senior year which was one of the best classes I took in high school and I was surprisingly really good at it. I wish high school would teach students more about life after high school. A boss isn't going to baby you like a teacher does. If you're late, lazy, or have an attitude, then you will be fired; whereas, in high school you basically get a slap on the wrist. Additionally, I wish high school would teach students how to write a check, balance their checkbook, etc.