Mathematics and Technology

I have never been a big fan of math. I always had a difficult time with it and forgot everything as soon as the test was over. It is for this reason that I like the idea of teachers bringing technology into a mathematics classroom. Chandler mentions that many teachers are reluctant to do this and I have to say I agree. I was always taught by a book and a blackboard. The only technology we ever used were calculators! I found solving equations boring and painful to do as did a lot of my peers. Chandler stated that students come in with a lot of experience with technology and that they would be willing to learn more. This is true because so many of us have already been taught basic skills with computer programs.
While I found Chandler to be rather boring I have to admit she made some good points. A visual aid can go a long way in helping a student to understand what he or she is learning. I know I would have benefited if I had been given something besides a book and a ruler. She also states that teachers feel pressured enough as it is to make sure they teach everything that will be on standardized tests and to finish the book. I have always hated this about the educational system. Tests are important but I don't believe students are learning as much as they should.
While I am going to be an English teacher I could use these types of podcasts to better myself. It is easy to get caught up in doing things in one set way. It is good to mix things up and to be constantly changing the way I relate material. I want to get better and better. These podcasts allow me to hear what thousands of teachers are doing in their classrooms. I can sift through their ideas and create my own. Technology is increasingly being used in the classroom and it is important that I do not fall behind.

Fixed Vs. Growth Mindset

I really liked this podcast because I can relate to it. It's always nice to appear smart because then you aren't judged and considered stupid. However appearing smart and being smart are two different things. This podcast focused on how students can improve their grades and become lifelong learners by changing their mindset. Instead of believing that everyone is given a certain level of intelligence and that there is no way to improve upon it, they should try to keep learning over time and not giving up when something does not click right away. In order to get out of the fixed mindset a student also has to be motivated. The narrator mentioned that some students attended a workshop about study skills while some others went to learn about the growth mindset. The study skills were great but the students showed little improvement because their thought process had not changed. I particularly liked how the students were told that babies are not laughed at when they mess something up while trying to learn. Instead they are encouraged to try again. The same courtesy should be extended to students.
The narrator talked about how the growth mindset can be advantageous to people besides students. Anyone who wants to be a truly good mentor should believe in continuous learning and that it is ok to mess something up now and again. That is merely part of the learning process. Also business people need the growth mindset because they have to believe that they can adapt to the changing world. Race car drivers are inevitably going to make mistakes during a race. If they are able to use them instead of dwelling on them they can often end up winning a race than seemed a lost cause.
I really believe in the growth mindset and I do my best to use it and to help others try to switch over to it. The idea that a person has a set threshold seems silly to me. Kids are able to pull their grades up all the time and to keep doing better. I would like my students to have a growth mindset and to not worry about looking stupid. They should use their mistakes to an advantage instead of getting hung up on them. I have trouble with math but I know that I can learn what I need to if I try hard enough and not focus on all the mistakes. They do not have to be viewed as a negative thing. If you can learn to be adaptable you can learn the growth mindset. Most kids are extremely adaptable and that is why I feel they can make the switch from a fixed mindset to a growth one. There are many teachers who could also benefit from the switch!

Video Podcasts

The WGBH podcasts impressed me more than I thought they would. I looked at several of them and they ranged from grades 3-8. One was about life on a coral reef. The quality was surprisingly good. When I think of free educational material I remember the grainy videos my history teacher had taped at home and brought in! The image was clear and the fish were absolutely beautiful. The information was presented in a clear manner so that students would be able to take notes if needed. At the same time the voice was not monotonous which can make anyone want to pay attention to something else. Though the clip was only two minutes long I thought it would be very useful to show a 6th grade science class. Notes on paper are useful but having an image to go with what you are learning helps to. There was another clip on precipitation that was targeted at 3rd graders. It was extremely short, only about thirty seconds long, and it was more of a slide show that a real video. There was a scene with rain falling and it had the word rain at the bottom; this was also done for snow, hail and sleet.
Students are spending more and more time on the Internet than ever before. I believe the average is around four hours a day! They are also using it to get information fast and easy instead of looking at flash cards or reading a book. By having podcasts like these online and by using them in the classroom I would be able to have the classroom available twenty-four hours a day to my students. It is easy for them to click over to itunes and watch a minute long segment on Wuthering Heights while waiting for their music to load. Also a podcast will not go anywhere whereas a book or a sheet of notes can be lost.
Another reason to use these podcasts is that they are free. Free is the true name of God to a teacher. Funding is very limited and books and videos can range from slightly to very out of date. A podcast can be updated with the latest information quickly for free. The podcast itself is also, usually, free. Videos and class discussions can be made available for no charge which is also good for students. They too can also have financial problems at home so anything that is free benefits them as well.

Edible Schoolyard and Global Village

I found the Global Village to be very interesting. The students aren't in a classroom studying about poverty. Instead they have to live it. The Heifer Farm set up some very neat little "homes" based on places like Guatemala and Tiland. The students are placed into groups and, with the exception of the refugee group, are given limited supplies. Each group has some of what they need but not all. The students must work together to see to it that everyone from each village is taken care of for the night. The students have adult chaperons but these adults can choose to either be an elder or a two- year -old. When the adults decide to step back this allows the students to step up and take responsibility for themselves and those around them. It is very important that students are able to empathize with those less fortunate than they. When they grow up and begin to run the world they will remember their experience at the Global Village and try to help others instead of take from them. This is the best kind of learning because it can be applied for a lifetime. In the classroom I want to be a guide and let the students help one another to learn and enjoy learning. School should not be a place of torment. It should be an adventure. The edible schoolyard was fascinating because it involved all kinds of lessons, math, reading, and science as well as social skills. The students were all able to feel useful. Also the environment was peaceful and not filled with pent up stress like most classrooms are. Everyone really seemed to enjoy the garden.
Collaborative lessons like the Global Village and the Edible Schoolyard teach more than a book ever could. Experience will always trump desk work and I feel that these two projects are very innovative and very useful. A student may not remember the economic chart he read about a third world country but he will remember having to bargain with his fellow classmates to get food and water! As a teacher I want my students to enjoy and remember what I teach them. I hope I can come up with projects such as these so that they will. It also never hurts to help others while you're learning.
I found these two podcasts to be more interesting than some of the other ones I have listened to. As a teacher they make me think about how I can make my classroom and my students' experiences more interactive and enjoyable. It is important that I foster not only mental growth but also emotional growth. Books just aren't enough to go by anymore. The podcasts are a way to see what others are doing and a means for me to gauge if I am doing enough. I want my students to enjoy my classroom as much as the ones in the Edible Schoolyard enjoyed theirs'. There should be a since of peace. That I am there to help them not belittle them. More than likely I will end up teaching Middle School and that is such a hard time for kids. I want class to be an escape instead of a prison. I like the podcasts because they keep me thinking about new ways to make myself better.