Friday, January 20, 2012
Thursday, December 29, 2011
Tuesday, December 13, 2011
Thursday, December 8, 2011
Monday, November 28, 2011
Google Reader
Google reader is an excellent tool for staying up to date on in various aras of interest. What I most enjoyed about this perticular assignment was that completing this assignment helped me in completing other assignements in other classes while also enabbling me to pursue personal interests as well. The blogs I followed for this assignment were http://willrichardson.com , http://larryferlazzo.edublogs.org , http://www.freetech4teachers.com , http://coolcatteacher.blogspot.com , http://www.amazon.com/Best-Sellers-Kindle-Store-eBooks , http://www.artofteachingscience.org/ , http://learningstylesevidence.blogspot.com/ . I enjoyed keeping up with the free books I could download to my kindle on the amason site. My favorite blog, however, was the Learning Styles Evidence blog. My favorite blog post is on this site is NLP begat VAKOG, VAKOG begat VAK, VAK begat VARK. This post helped me answer several questions I have had about the connection between Neuro-linguistic Programing (NLP) and the discussion of Learning styles among educators. In my personal experience I knew the connection to be psychology.
My initial exposure to learning styles occurred in my educational psychology class in the early 80’s. Then the discussion centered around four styles based on the current understanding of the way our brains worked. Those who were right brained were concrete learners and those who were left brained were said to be abstract learners. Individuals who craved order were said to process information sequentially and those who were not were labeled random processors of information. These four aspects were combined into the four groupings of concrete sequential, abstract random, abstract sequential and concrete random. I did not fit neatly into any one group.
Through some personal research into Neuro-linguistic Programing (NLP) I became exposed to Fleming’s VARK model (Visual, Aural or Audio, Read/write, Kinesthetic). So far on the Learning Styles Evidence blog seems so far to be a balanced discussion about learning styles (neither ruling them in or out but reviewing only peer reviewed research) found on the blog. The authors purpose is explained in the original post. His seems to be a true academic search for the truth concerning learning styles.
The Google reader is a tool which will enable me to continue to do research on my own, continue to stay up to date with new technology and trends in science and twaching science while I pursue personal interests as well. This is a potentially powerful tool.
My initial exposure to learning styles occurred in my educational psychology class in the early 80’s. Then the discussion centered around four styles based on the current understanding of the way our brains worked. Those who were right brained were concrete learners and those who were left brained were said to be abstract learners. Individuals who craved order were said to process information sequentially and those who were not were labeled random processors of information. These four aspects were combined into the four groupings of concrete sequential, abstract random, abstract sequential and concrete random. I did not fit neatly into any one group.
Through some personal research into Neuro-linguistic Programing (NLP) I became exposed to Fleming’s VARK model (Visual, Aural or Audio, Read/write, Kinesthetic). So far on the Learning Styles Evidence blog seems so far to be a balanced discussion about learning styles (neither ruling them in or out but reviewing only peer reviewed research) found on the blog. The authors purpose is explained in the original post. His seems to be a true academic search for the truth concerning learning styles.
The Google reader is a tool which will enable me to continue to do research on my own, continue to stay up to date with new technology and trends in science and twaching science while I pursue personal interests as well. This is a potentially powerful tool.
Monday, November 21, 2011
Social Bookmarks Wordle
The idea of social bookmarks was new to me. I must say that my first response was not positive in that I did not really see the need. Then I started completing this assignment and began to understand the significant help which organizing the bookmarked pages can have. Also, when I began to view the bookmarked pages of others I really began to understand the potential power of this tool.
Creating a “wordle” was also eye opening for me. Not only does using a wordle provide a clear means for understanding what you have considered to be important it also offers a wonderful means for creative expression.
I look forward to utilizing both these tools in my teaching both as a means for making assignments but also as resources which I will utilize for my own purposes professionally and personally.
Please click the link below to go to my science teacher stack at delicious.com.
Creating a “wordle” was also eye opening for me. Not only does using a wordle provide a clear means for understanding what you have considered to be important it also offers a wonderful means for creative expression.
I look forward to utilizing both these tools in my teaching both as a means for making assignments but also as resources which I will utilize for my own purposes professionally and personally.
Thursday, November 17, 2011
Thinkport.org
Thinkport is an education website designed for the state of Maryland. Principally this study was designed to determine how technology-based educational resources could be best used to help students master core content. With the heightened emphasis in our nation on math and science education the group quickly began to focus on how to use games to help pre-algebra students successfully prepare to succeed in algebra.
One of their the successful games is the "Lure of the Labyrinth" which can be access at the following link http://labyrinth.thinkport.org/www/
Another application tha may prove helpful in teaching high school physical science , or environmental science is the graphic information systems (GIS). With this technology I was able to find an earthquake which occurred in our state (GA) on November 13, 2011. Such realtime information and interactive maps containing overlays of seismic information would be helpful in gaining student interest, and creating assignments for student research in teaching geology and geography. This technology could prove useful for any classroom application whenever there is the need for maps to be involved .
The Resources link under the Think Technology tab contains several items for teachers to utilize. There is the Newbie blog which helps those of us who are new to using this technology and games in general in the classroom, as well as articles about games and the underlying research is housed under Background papers.
This website contains a wealth of information. Although many of the links are broken, don't be discouraged. Keep clicking and exploring this website. You and your students will be glad you did.
One of their the successful games is the "Lure of the Labyrinth" which can be access at the following link http://labyrinth.thinkport.org/www/
Another application tha may prove helpful in teaching high school physical science , or environmental science is the graphic information systems (GIS). With this technology I was able to find an earthquake which occurred in our state (GA) on November 13, 2011. Such realtime information and interactive maps containing overlays of seismic information would be helpful in gaining student interest, and creating assignments for student research in teaching geology and geography. This technology could prove useful for any classroom application whenever there is the need for maps to be involved .
The Resources link under the Think Technology tab contains several items for teachers to utilize. There is the Newbie blog which helps those of us who are new to using this technology and games in general in the classroom, as well as articles about games and the underlying research is housed under Background papers.
This website contains a wealth of information. Although many of the links are broken, don't be discouraged. Keep clicking and exploring this website. You and your students will be glad you did.
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