If I Build A School
Krissy Venosdale teaches gifted education teacher in Missouri. She strives to give her students a creative outlet. She loves science and all technology. She is passionate about no bulling and makes her classroom rules to make kids respect each other.
Mrs. Venosdale talked about her dream of building a school in her post. She has dreams of making school fun, and not loaded down with state testing.She wants to add as much creativity as she can into a school day. She wants the school to be painted bright and feel welcoming. She doesn't believe in a set curriculum, but instead learning how to think deeply about what was being taught. I must say I love the idea about the fish tank! Who couldn't sit and watch fish and just think? I think her dreams are fantastic, and also I also envision a classroom of kids who got excited about being at school because it was fun to learn.
If I was building a school I would make the school earth friendly. I would teach the importance of recycling and reusing. The high cost of building a school good for the environment and good for saving energy would be worth it from the amount saved in the end. As I said in a past post I would love for my school to have a garden. Where the student can learn to care for it, which will teach responsibility.
The food can be donated to local food banks, be donated to the school cafeteria, or the school could have a farmers market and the money be put back into the school. Children should be taught to give back to good causes. Classes now are full of children mentally "checking out" because it's not interesting to them or not taught in a way that makes the lesson fun. I want my students to know that they being meaning to the school. Kids do not learn the same thing, at the same time, or even on the same level as each other.I would break kids up into classes according to the way they learn, whether it be hands-on, lecturing, or visual learning. There will be a variety ways to make grades, not just sit down testing. There will be fun group projects that makes kids excited. Teachers will be there to guide the students rather than dictate. My school will be viewed as a community.
Eric Whitacre's Virtual Choir
This video of the virtual choir gave me chills! This video took at bunch of people singing from their homes and put them together and matched their voices to make the choir. I really enjoyed it, and music like this draws me in every time. All the different people and just the kind of echoing of their voices reminds me of angels. I've never seen anything like this, and once again I can't believe it's even possible. What's next? I would watch more videos like this.
Teaching 21st Century
This video makes me realize that we don't need to be taught only facts anymore. I have never realized of thought about the fact that we can learn everything on our own using the resources we use everyday. This makes me wonder if some teachers are wasting time in the classroom, or possibly could reach some students better if they would open their eyes to other ways to teach. The thought that a struggling student could learn in ways that the teacher isn't willing to teach is mind boggling. Students now should be taught how to go about finding information and answers using their resources. Making the child search teaches them how to use the media and also how to find new facts as they search. Hopefully soon more classrooms will implement the use of technology so that the students will thrive.
Flipping the Classroom
Flipping the classroom is a concept that makes more time in the classroom actually learning and discussing lessons. The children are to watch their math lesson at home and come in ready to work. I love this and will use this method if possible. So much time is used teaching lessons and very little time is used for teachers and students interacting with strategies. I believe that once they use this method on all subjects it could be monumental in the way classrooms and schools are ran. I would use this by each night doing a different subject, or two short subject per night in order to get ready for the next day. I believe this will be a huge time saver.
Rebecca, I see where you're going with flipping the classroom. You want to incorporate it into your own classroom. On the other hand, I have mixed emotions about the idea. I know that too much time in class is wasted on review information and not enough on teaching the actual lessons. But, how can you justify teaching your students almost solely online? Doesn't this somewhat take away your whole task of being a "teacher". That's how I personally feel about online classes and such. Like I said though, I do agree that there is way too much time wasted/spent on reviewing and not enough time spent on the application of each lesson. I just can't quite commit to making a 2nd grade class of mine teach themselves online and do homework online as well with little to no instruction from me, their teacher, prior to.
ReplyDeleteAngela: You demonstrate and talk in videos watched at home. You do and teach in class. Sounds appropriate to me. You are wrong about "...no instruction from me." You do more and it is personalized. I am not sure are what level flipping would worm. If you ask for second grade teachers who flip their classrooms on Twitter, what response would get? Try it!
DeleteRebecca: "This makes me wonder if some teachers are wasting time in the classroom, or possibly could reach some students better if they would open their eyes to other ways to teach." Yes. You cannot teach like you were taught and be successful as an educator. See the comments of Lauren Brannan, Teacher of the Year at J.E. Turner Elementary School in Wilmer, AL. Lauren explains why (if I have not succeeded in that effort).
ReplyDeleteThoughtful. Interesting. Well done. See my reply to Angela's comment.
Thanks Dr. Strange, I was actually excited after watching the videos on flipping the classroom. I actually shared the videos with several friends who were equally interested in this new way of thinking and teaching. I believe that giving the children the videos to do at home will actually give them more time to think about the lessons. And also, make them think about potential questions. This would allow children to lean at an early age to engage in a discussion.
ReplyDeleteRebecca,
ReplyDeleteI completely agree with you about flipping the classroom. I think it is a fantastic idea. I have never heard of it before this class but it makes so much sense. Of course you may have to go over what was taught online in the videos for the children that don't quite get it but at least you will not spend most of the time on lecturing. The rest of the class can be spent on practicing what was learned and helping the other students in the class. I will find a school that allows me to teach this way because I believe so much in it.