Chapter 11 Reflection

5. Illustrate important considerations of effective labs and hands-on activities when guiding student learning with and about technology in the various subject matter areas.
I think teachers have to realize that these kind of projects require a lot of planning and organization to be effective for the students, especially for junior high students who need to have plenty of structure in their learning. They can't just give the students a piece of a paper and say, "Go learn about space." There needs to be a good amount of guidance and meaningful purpose. The latter will be especially important , because not everyone will like the subject content. For example: I'm not particularly motivated by math, so I think I would need more purpose to supplement my lack of enthusiasm. I think a specific purpose would help bolster enthusiasm, because it gives more meaning to the project.

The thing about labs, from what I remember in junior high, is often you have to do it in pairs or groups, because the school lacks equipment. I understand that this allows students to collaborate and work with each other, but how do I ensure that all students are participating equally in this process (make sure some kids aren't just taking advantage of the kids who are actually doing the work)?

As a teacher, I can see myself using labs as ways to let my students think more independently and creatively. For example: I think it would be cool if my students did a bi-weekly class newspaper. I remember my junior high had this neat newspaper format program. I could divide my class into groups and each group would take care of a section, learning to use that program as well as work on their writing skills, grammar skills, and team working skills.

Chapter Three Reflection

3. Explain a behaviorist's view of learning and how it influences teaching and learning today.
Many behaviorists believe learning is motivated by external experiences. It is an accumulation of bits of knowledge, which need to come in a sequential order, because they will build upon each other. This affects teaching, because teachers need to keep in mind what the students have already learned, as well as how that experience has affected them. Knowing a student's ability and attitude helps teachers understand how best to approach the subject to enourage the student's learning.

One question: I understand we want to build upon the knowledge the students have, but in an introductory American literature class, like a survey class studying content covering a large time period, how do we best sequence all that information so that it makes sense.

As a teacher, I will need to keep this in mind when I try to organize content for the students to learn. For example, when I talk to my students about poetry, I have to assess their previous knowledge and experiences. That foundation will help me when we (I and the students) explore the subject in greater depth. If I understand how they feel about something, I'll know how to maybe present the new information in a positive way, making the connection between the old and new a good experience. Making learning a positive experience will encourage students to further their understanding and investigations.

Chapter 8 Reflection

Identify social, ethical, and human issues that are important with respect to multimedia.

The bigger issue I see for multimedia projects is copyright laws, ensuring the students have a solid understanding of what they can do legally; however another issue I see is making sure students from all different backgrounds, in terms of nationality and economics, have access to multimedia tools.

Something I don't understand about this section is why appreciating other cultures is an issue in terms of multimedia projects. The example is about using multimedia tools to represent and value diversity, which is cool; I think it's a great idea, but I don't understand why that is relevent to the point the book made about evaluating diverse abilities in the classroom.

I think this objective applies to the classroom, because multimedia projects are becoming more essential to work environments. Students need to be able to acquire the skills to be successful, and if some kids do not have these tools at home, the school should try to accomodate them. Students also need to know the rules applicable to these tools. Understanding copyright laws will keep students safer from legal implications and threats.