https://sites.google.com/site/pregnancybabysteps/home
Driving question: How did we really develop and what did we feel/go through/think?
Sunday, December 14, 2014
Wednesday, October 29, 2014
Educational Gaming: "Sugar Sugar" and "Full Moon"
Sugar, Sugar:
"Sugar, Sugar" is a critical thinking game that I found through www.coolmath.com that I actually was instructed to play in both middle and high school. The game opens with the words "Sugar, Sugar" across the top of the screen in various colors depending on which level you're on. Below the two words are various blocks, levels and other obstacles set in you way of the goal, the sugar cup. Your mission is to fill the sugar cup with 100 pieces of sugar, while working around the blocks and obstacles. The actual sugar falls from the bottom of the comma "," that separates the words "Sugar, Sugar." As sugar falls down the screen you must use your mouse to click and draw lines to guide the sugar to the corresponding cup. You can draw as many lines as you wish in any way that you wish, as long as you get the sugar to the cup. It may seem simple, however the more advanced you get in the game the more challenges you will face. Sugar cups get added to different levels, so instead of just filling one you may need to fill three cups before the sugar runs out, and it will eventually stop falling. You will eventually need to change the color of the sugar by guiding the falling sugar through a color portal and eventually getting it into the corresponding color cup. Other tricks like, "holes in the floor," which sends the sugar back to the top of the screen once it has fallen through, and the "gravity button," which turns off the gravity with the sugar, thus making it float straight up. These things and more make this game fun, challenging and time consuming. Critical thinking and creativity are keys to completing the game.
ISTE-NETS Standards:
along with creativity and critical thinking, I would say this game definitely prepares students for more 21 century learning method and techniques. The ISTE-NETS Standards all revolve around digital literacy and how students are expected to use the skills in the classroom. When working with media and digital learning tools, the student must take on a more independent role as this type of instruction is more self expression and guidance than anything. I believe that critical thinking is one of the most important skills a young student can work to better in the 21 century, because education is changing and adapting in order to continue to be the best and most effective. This game in particular allows students to be creative in order to complete the goal. They have to find a way to achieve the goal and execute it, and of course this planning process will vary from student to student.
Full Moon:
Full Moon is also a game I got from www.coolmath.com that I had to play in earlier years of school. This is more of a problem solving game than anything. It is set outside at night in a forest where you play a rabbit. Because the name of the game is full moon, the moon is bright in the background and everything else in the picture,(including you) is black, we can only see silhouettes. While playing this rabbit, you will see that he thinks about different things he wants via thought bubble above his head. Whatever he thinks about you have to get to him only using clues around the screen, i.e. trees, rocks, limbs, leaves, owls, etc. The tricky part is that you can't see any depth in anything because it's dark. Problem solving is the main goal, and you have to start from scratch in order to figure out how things work. For example, if I see the rabbit thinking about an apple, I know I have to get the apple to him. Where is the apple? How do i get it to him? The more you click around and play with the objects you're given, the better you get. By clicking around in the dark tree overhead, I may come across a section of the tree that I'm able to drag to the left that would then reveal the apple I was looking for. You just never know how the different, blacked out props on the screen will work until you get creative. I also think this game serves critical thinking skills as well as the previous game. I believe the ISTE-NETS Standards for this game are very similar to the previous game. Creativity and critical thinking in order to problem solve, a skill that is becoming more and more important as time and technology progresses, especially in the classroom.
I feel that both of these games could be used to help performance in math, as they both require set structures and steps in order to reach the goal.
"Sugar, Sugar" is a critical thinking game that I found through www.coolmath.com that I actually was instructed to play in both middle and high school. The game opens with the words "Sugar, Sugar" across the top of the screen in various colors depending on which level you're on. Below the two words are various blocks, levels and other obstacles set in you way of the goal, the sugar cup. Your mission is to fill the sugar cup with 100 pieces of sugar, while working around the blocks and obstacles. The actual sugar falls from the bottom of the comma "," that separates the words "Sugar, Sugar." As sugar falls down the screen you must use your mouse to click and draw lines to guide the sugar to the corresponding cup. You can draw as many lines as you wish in any way that you wish, as long as you get the sugar to the cup. It may seem simple, however the more advanced you get in the game the more challenges you will face. Sugar cups get added to different levels, so instead of just filling one you may need to fill three cups before the sugar runs out, and it will eventually stop falling. You will eventually need to change the color of the sugar by guiding the falling sugar through a color portal and eventually getting it into the corresponding color cup. Other tricks like, "holes in the floor," which sends the sugar back to the top of the screen once it has fallen through, and the "gravity button," which turns off the gravity with the sugar, thus making it float straight up. These things and more make this game fun, challenging and time consuming. Critical thinking and creativity are keys to completing the game.
ISTE-NETS Standards:
along with creativity and critical thinking, I would say this game definitely prepares students for more 21 century learning method and techniques. The ISTE-NETS Standards all revolve around digital literacy and how students are expected to use the skills in the classroom. When working with media and digital learning tools, the student must take on a more independent role as this type of instruction is more self expression and guidance than anything. I believe that critical thinking is one of the most important skills a young student can work to better in the 21 century, because education is changing and adapting in order to continue to be the best and most effective. This game in particular allows students to be creative in order to complete the goal. They have to find a way to achieve the goal and execute it, and of course this planning process will vary from student to student.
Full Moon:
Full Moon is also a game I got from www.coolmath.com that I had to play in earlier years of school. This is more of a problem solving game than anything. It is set outside at night in a forest where you play a rabbit. Because the name of the game is full moon, the moon is bright in the background and everything else in the picture,(including you) is black, we can only see silhouettes. While playing this rabbit, you will see that he thinks about different things he wants via thought bubble above his head. Whatever he thinks about you have to get to him only using clues around the screen, i.e. trees, rocks, limbs, leaves, owls, etc. The tricky part is that you can't see any depth in anything because it's dark. Problem solving is the main goal, and you have to start from scratch in order to figure out how things work. For example, if I see the rabbit thinking about an apple, I know I have to get the apple to him. Where is the apple? How do i get it to him? The more you click around and play with the objects you're given, the better you get. By clicking around in the dark tree overhead, I may come across a section of the tree that I'm able to drag to the left that would then reveal the apple I was looking for. You just never know how the different, blacked out props on the screen will work until you get creative. I also think this game serves critical thinking skills as well as the previous game. I believe the ISTE-NETS Standards for this game are very similar to the previous game. Creativity and critical thinking in order to problem solve, a skill that is becoming more and more important as time and technology progresses, especially in the classroom.
I feel that both of these games could be used to help performance in math, as they both require set structures and steps in order to reach the goal.
Sunday, October 26, 2014
Magazine Cover Reflection
I felt that this assignment and project was an extremely creative idea to have students complete because it left so much room for individual interpretation. At first I was skeptical and thought I would dread having to spend so much time completing the assignment, but the more involved I got in creating the cover the more I began to enjoy myself. This activity let you create something completely based on you and what you would want others to know about you if you were to be Teacher of The Year, and honestly, we should all think that would be pretty great one day. I think I automatically assume I'm going to dislike an assignment because I'm not very 'project' savy', however when I get the hang of it I always enjoy it. I also really liked that we were given visual examples as to what we were expected to come up with, because I had no clue where to start before seeing them and looking to see how they handled the project. I will definitely keep this assignment in mind for future use and reference. In the future I could se using this project as an assignment to help students understand how to use different parts of technology not only to create papers and words, but also pictures and personalization. In correspondence with the ISTE-NETS Standards, I felt that my cover and information best related to the first standard, Facilitate and inspire student learning and creativity, specifically, C. Promote student reflection using collaborative tools to reveal and clarify students' conceptual understanding and thinking, planning, and creative processes. I chose this standard because this is pretty much what I had to do to create the project assigned. All in all I enjoyed the project and would like to do more creative things like this in the future.
RA #5 Seven Power Lens
Abilock, Debbie. "A Seven-Power Lens on 21- Centuyr Literacy." 30-35. Web. 24 Oct. 2014. <https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B6DFAmexYq7vMTFmZjZhNWItZWY5Ni00NzdhLWIxYzItMmE4NmI0MGI5NzJl/edit?hl=en&pli=1>.
This is the selection from the information on The Seven Power Lens file we were assigned to read and reflect upon. I chose this particular selection because it really opened my eyes to how my views are seen differently by others. Personally, I choose to follow Fox News and find it to be a reliable source; if it wasn't Fox it would be some other news company. I can't help but feel offended by the fact that this source is saying my news report of choice creates illusions and exaggerations when all news stations do the same thing. Fox is generally looked at as being extremely conservative and biased although they claim to report fairly and let the viewer decide. I feel every news station is biased in some way or another, Fox just happens to take most of the heat for it because of how openly conservative they tend to portray. It is true that it's easy to tell when certain information is left out or taken out of context, however I'm having trouble understanding why Fox is the face for this strategy. No matter which news you choose to follow criticism will always follow, you just have to be knowledgeable and know to gather info from more than just one source.
This is a video I found on YouTube that talks with the author of the book The Fox Effect, which explains what it really is and what it's purpose is.
Sam Seder- The Fox Effect. Perf. Sam Seder. YouTube, Ring of Fire Radio, 2012. Film.
Friday, October 17, 2014
Photo Analysis Worksheet(s)
Class Activity 1A- Worksheet 1: Seize Claims Process
Class Activity 1B- Worksheet 2: BP Oil Spill
Sunday, October 5, 2014
Biases on the website
Having a biased source can be very difficult to work with in most cases because they are extremely unreliable. Being biased means to side with one side more than the other or opposing side. Biased sources should not be used when conducting research or comparing information. My first source, USNEWS, is what I believe to be a very unbiased source because of its views on both sides of any given argument. It is a very credible site and viewed by many daily by many. My second source, Huffington Post, is also a world wide news site visited by many. I believe it to be unbiased also because of the credibility it gains by acknowledging both sides.
RR#4: Think Aloud meets ISTE-NETS
In accordance with the ISTE-Nets standards for students and teachers I believe 1.) Facilitate and Inspire student learning and creativity best aligns with my ThinkAloud project. This standard promotes student exploration, growth and reflection in various areas of study. My ThinkAloud project deals with the Common Core Standards and how they have been portrayed in recent political discussion. The Common Core Standards were created to provide equality within the school systems across the country. It is believed by many that by providing equality on such a wide scale students will become more confident and successful. Standard number 1 of the ISTE-Nets standards relates to my project through creativity and self exploration. Common Core allows students to become more independent, while standard 1 promotes creativity and growth. When speaking of technology I believe these two topics relate because of the sources made available to advance in them rapidly.
Sunday, September 28, 2014
Sunday, September 21, 2014
RR#3 Code of Best Practice
- What is the difference between Media in Education vs Media Literacy Education
- What social bargain is at the heart of Fair use?
- Why is Fair Use more important today?
- What are the two key questions judges use to determine Fair Use?
- A teacher shows a movie of The Lion King and asks student to notice how the animals in the movie reflect racial stereotypes. Is this Fair Use? Why?
- Which principle relates most strongly to the digital story you created in class? Explain.
- Are there limitations to the amount of pictures, length of music, or video that can be used in a multimedia project?
- Do you need to request permission from the original creator in order to use copyrighted material in multimedia project for school related assignment?
- Should educators try to change the policies in their school if they are not in line with Fair Use doctrine?
- What common myth about Fair Use surprised you the most?
Education is quickly evolving and becoming more independent and digital. In a world almost completely run with technology it's important to know what you can and can't do with it in the classroom. As a future educator, it is my responsibility to educate myself on what changes and what stays the same when it comes to using technology in the classroom. One of the basic step stones to first understand is media in education and media literacy, both meaning different things. Media in education is the use of technology and social media, i.e. video, pictures, songs, etc. Media literacy education is being able to identify media that you can and can't use in the classroom. This falls in with the entire theme of fair use and the code. The key to all this is knowing what the social bargain is, meaning if the benefit will be greater than the potential backlash to any of the companies it is said to be okay to use or fair use. If you are using media to teach any certain lesson it's under fair use policy. This makes it possible to not need to ask direct permission to use the media in lessons or teaching, which surprised me. I think schools should all definitely want to use the fair use policy because I believe it serves education and helps the students better understand the information in some cases.
Thursday, September 18, 2014
Where I'm From or Who I Am?
A short random film of some of my best friends and closest family.
Creating this video wasn't very challenging, however it was time consuming. I was already acquainted with the movie making program and had some previous understanding.
Sunday, September 7, 2014
Reading Reflection (RR#2): 21st Century Pedagogy
This week's reading focused on 21st Century Pedagogy and what it means for the new and upcoming educators and students. The article broke down a few of the more important aspects of what pedagogy is and how it directly relates to what the future potentially holds. One detail from the article that really stuck out to me was that, " Assessment is still a key part of 21st Century Pedagogy. This generation of students responds well to clear goals and objectives, assessed in a transparent ." This to me reinforces the idea that even though our world and ways of teaching are changing, the core goals will still be the same, assessment and hopefully success. I'm pleased that assessment is still one of the key parts to 21st century pedagogy and believe it always should be. I felt relieved and satisfied to know that students will still be driven and directed in a way that makes sense to best benefit them and their learning. Even though assessment will still be a part of the new way of teaching, the path to getting there will more than likely dramatically change. I agreed with the article when it mentioned multiple times that the 21st century pedagogy needs to adapt to the world today and how students see it and interact with it. If educators can just understand that and make an honest effort I would think success would be inevitable.
The learning Pyramid takes into account seven different, popular, methods of teaching that are used today. The levels include: lecture, reading, audio-visual, demonstration, discussion group, practice by doing, and teach others. each of these seven methods were studied and given a percentage grade for how well students remembered the given information via that method. The percentages given, which ranged from lecture at 5% to teach others at 90%, makes up the average retention rate in terms of information taught. It's a simple way to break down today's teaching methods and see how successful they actually are.
This article supports and reinforces the information I have given above and gives a little extra detail on the learning pyramid. http://acrlog.org/2014/01/13/tales-of-the-undead-learning-theories-the-learning-pyramid/
The learning Pyramid takes into account seven different, popular, methods of teaching that are used today. The levels include: lecture, reading, audio-visual, demonstration, discussion group, practice by doing, and teach others. each of these seven methods were studied and given a percentage grade for how well students remembered the given information via that method. The percentages given, which ranged from lecture at 5% to teach others at 90%, makes up the average retention rate in terms of information taught. It's a simple way to break down today's teaching methods and see how successful they actually are.
This article supports and reinforces the information I have given above and gives a little extra detail on the learning pyramid. http://acrlog.org/2014/01/13/tales-of-the-undead-learning-theories-the-learning-pyramid/
Friday, August 29, 2014
‘Reading Reflection (RR# 1): Future of Work’
Upon watching the video 'Future of Work', I feel as though it makes very valid points and gives detailed information on what the future holds. Although it gives in depth outlooks on future jobs and work, I can't help but disagree with a few concepts within the video. One of the main things mentioned that really stuck out to me was the fact given that the majority of people already work from home and that those numbers will rise in the near future. Personally, I disagree with that fact and can't image that the majority of people in the US are working from home, I don't see how that would be possible with current society. While I have no supporting facts or evidence on how or why I disagree, I feel that from a civilian point of view that information is misleading. Another piece of information that I took notice to was the fact that those annoying password, "We're making sure you're not a robot" things have a name and are known as reCAPTCHA. I had no clue what they were for or why we need them but obviously they are serving a purpose, and I had no idea how much work went into them. The last bit of information I found to disagree with was the fact that the world is "flat" and that trend will continue. To me, that information meant that because of the growing technologies and uniformity of society using them society and the world is now flat, or the same. My interpretation of that information may be completely wrong, but I believe that technology is extremely complex and even if everyone is using it it's still just as complex.
As of right now I don't feel completely prepared for the future of work as it was portrayed. My high school and previous college classes haven't done anything hands on with me to prepare me. I have been exposed to technology in class, but never how I will cope with it in my future career. If my future work will be described as "flat" and if I find myself sitting at home rather than out in society doing something for someone then I'm not exactly looking forward to it. I believe in work or careers you should use technology to help perform your job better, not let it take you away from it and others.
As of right now I don't feel completely prepared for the future of work as it was portrayed. My high school and previous college classes haven't done anything hands on with me to prepare me. I have been exposed to technology in class, but never how I will cope with it in my future career. If my future work will be described as "flat" and if I find myself sitting at home rather than out in society doing something for someone then I'm not exactly looking forward to it. I believe in work or careers you should use technology to help perform your job better, not let it take you away from it and others.
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