11 Matching Annotations
  1. Mar 2020
    1. Computational thinking requires understanding the capabilities of computers, formulating problems to be addressed by a computer, and designing algorithms that a computer can execute. The most effective context and approach for developing computational thinking is learning computer science; they are intrinsically connected.

      Considering that computational thinking is such a beneficial problem-solving skill that can be applied to virtually all subject areas and future career fields, I do think that schools should start to offer coding as a type of "foreign language" option. Whether or not students enter tech fields such as game design or website construction as a result of exposure to a coding course, they will at least practice critical thinking skills and develop their foresight.

    1. We learned that Discovery Education developers had already outlined the conceptual parameters of a space within Discovery Education for students to post original digital content mashed up with editable Discovery Education resources.

      I followed the Discovery Education hyperlink and took a brief survey of the website. Upon looking at the Social Studies "techbook," I really appreciated the graphic on the War of 1812. I always enjoyed history as a high school student, but I found that while reading simply from the textbook, it was often hard to visualize historical figures. This interactive presentation brings those figures to life, which is what the history classroom should be all about. Students could even use digital content creation platforms such as Discovery Education to create battle maps and timelines for notable historical events.

    2. Students will use their own smart phones, tablets, netbooks, and other devices at school and outside of school to create digital resources . . .  Students will access the resources of our private cloud anytime, anywhere, and from any device with internet connectivity in order to create and use videos. 

      Although I am in complete support of students creating digital content instead of simply consuming it, it is important to account for schools that do not have a 1:1 student-computer ratio. If teachers were to assign multimodal projects in classes where students did not have reliable outside access to internet, they would need to create a flexible timeline where students could complete most work in class. Furthermore, they could assign students group projects using one computer in order to combat the 1:1 ratio issue.

    3. In school, most youth only consume digital stories and resources. We need to transition from consumption to creation of digital content, from students as consumers to students as creators of digital content. When students create digital content that they value, they are much more likely to be engaged.

      This is an accurate and relevant observation. Students will not be empowered to use the digital content that they are presented with if they are only consumers of this technology. When students are given the position of creator, they get to consider the rheotrical impact of their digital content (audience, purpose, etc.) in the same way that they do while composing a more traditional piece of writing. This reminds me of the stop-motion example that we watched in technology class. Considering that the kindergartners took an active role in transforming the children's book into an interactive video, the students will be encouraged to pick up this technology in their future.

  2. Apr 2019
    1. Creation can be viewed simply as the act of producing, or causing to exist.  Construction is the building or assembling of an infrastructure. Construction is equal parts inspiration and perspiration. Construction calls on creativity as well as persistence, flexibility, and revision. Construction asks our students and teachers to focus on the power and patience employed during work process…and not just the final resultant work product. Construction also brings in the role of groups of learners in the process of learning and as a result includes elements of social and cognitive constructivism. Learners are encouraged to be creative as they build and revise content.

      The importance of construction in the classroom and the difference between creation. Through construction students are encouraged to be creative

  3. Mar 2019
    1. Phase 3: Student-Centered Learning During Phase 3, students work both individually and in small groups at using strategies and skills from the previous phases to develop lines of inquiry around curricular topics. This type of project requires clear questions, multiple reliable sources, citations, and a final product that communicates that information to others.

      Students should be taught the material but should also be set free in order to collaborate with peers as well as technology to “tinker” and figure out the answer to the problem on their own which promotes a student centered approach to learning

  4. Feb 2019
    1. performance tasks and other evidence. The perfor-mance tasks ask students to apply their learning to a new and authentic situation as means of assessing their understand-ing and ability to transfer their learning.

      THIS is good stuff. Learning applied to real life.

    2. we consider our goals, examine established content standards (national, state, prov-ince, and district), and review curriculum expectations.

      I like this idea of starting plans with figuring out the intention that we want students to get from it.

    1. "let us play, but guide us" is a good phrase overall for teaching. Let students explore and have self-discovery, but steer them in the path for success.

  5. Jan 2019
    1. ading and writing are reciprocal; they’re both constructive, meaning-mak-ing processes. Researchers have found that reading leads to better writing,and that writing has the same effect on reading (Spivey, 1997). Not surprisingly, they’vealso learned that integrating instruction improves both reading and writing (Braunger& Lewis, 2006; Tierney & Shanahan, 1996). It’s possible that students use the same typeof thinking for both reading and writing

      Even though reading and writing are procedural, are these skills meant to be set in stone and followed every time reading and writing occur? Or, is the way we read and write subjective, especially due to the expanding mediums that now qualify as "reading and writing"?

    2. he reading process that Mrs. Goodman uses represents a significant shift inthinking about what students do as they read. Mrs. Goodman understands thatreaders construct meaning as they negotiate the texts they’re reading. Sheknows that it’s quite common for two students to read the same book and comeaway with different interpretations because meaning doesn’t exist on the pages of a book;instead, comprehension is created through the interaction between readers and the textsthey’re reading. This individualized view of readers’ interpretations reflects Rosenblatt’stransactive theory (2004).

      Gaining the perspective of all the students, even after a group read is important. This is important for reading comprehension and expanding a student's ability to participate or produce analysis.