Response to Tony Wagner

When I hear the term "obsolete", I think of having nothing. Nothing to provide for anyone or anything...no potential. Just nothing. Tony is trying to say that we have nothing to provide...or he just used "obsolete" for lack of a better word. But our education system provides our students much more than nothing, so I must respectfully disagree with Tony's quote. It is true that a lot of our schools are old, lack appropriate furnishings, are goverment ruled, poor, and contain some underqualified employees. That being said,  I can name many businesses, churches, hospitals, and other career paths that are faced with these same problems. The difference is that we hold in our hands the fate of our children; if they are not properly educated, they will not be competitive in our growing world. I think that many administrators, politians, and educators alike have realized this, though, and are working hard to change the curriculum, environment, and reputation of America's education. This is not obsolete. I, as well as every other College of Education student at Butler, am surrounded by educators who live to provide a good education and work very hard to show exceptional teaching. I do not think that education is obsolete...it will never be if we continue to have passionate adminitrators and teachers on our side. Do I think it needs improvement? YES. The government must start either electing people who know what they are talking about to make decisions, or they need to let the schools do what they know best (better than the politicians) and that is to educate youth. The teachers who are stuck in their ways and do not want to accept the change in education (which includes technology and new ideas in strategies and education) should leave. Schools need to hire educators who are willing to stay up to date with new teaching strategies, develop and understading for the competitive environment when chosing universityies and jobs, and strive to have their students achieve greatness. They must be open minded enough to see that a student can do whatever he or she is passionate about , as long as they put a lot of love and hard work into it. They must facilitate that passion and promote dedication. I know teachers who live like this. I know teachers who love their students like they do their own children. That is not obsolete. So I'm sorry, Tony, but you are wrong. Just like the economy, America's education is in a period of low. But it will gain momentum again and progressive education will succeed. I just know it.

Be Blessed,

Karly

My Experience with Ted.Com

I was really excited when we got this assignment because I love short films! I chose "The Divided Brain" because I find the brain and the way it works very interesting. I was also drawn in by the fact that it was a cartoon. It discussed the shifting of the sides of the brain in not only humans, but animals as well. He explains that the two sides of the brain do not each have SPECIFIC roles to help the body function, contrary to popular belief. The sides of the brain work together so that the body can see, think, and feel emotion. The left and right brain do differ, however, in memory. The right brain retains broad aspects of memory, while the left brain details of memory. Our frontal lobe makes us different from animals because we have the ability to analyze and empathize. We use these "tools" to connect with others in ways other than primal needs and protection. He also believes, in opposition of Daniel Pink, that the hemispheres of the brain must work together for both creativity and reasoning. I found this very interesting because it has been very popular for people to explain themselves as a "left-brained" or "right-brained" person. I guess they just mean "I use my brain"? haha The most profound message in this video, for me, was when the narrator spoke of a "paradoxical world" where we live the opposite of what we believe. He thinks that we must stop relying upon the left brain and use more of the right. But really...we should use both together...right? That way no side becomes dominant over the other.
I can use these ideas in my classroom to promote a more productive and interpersonal environment. If I look at the world through my "right brain", then I can stop focusing on strictly the rules and begin building and fostering meaningful relationships with my class, and promote the same with peer to peer relationships. I can also end the trend, for lack of a better word, of using "left brain" and "right brain" to explain learning styles and focus more upon Gardner's learning styles.
I found the narrator very interesting and am pursuing one of his books. So thank you, Prof. Wright, for this assignment! It has been very engaging and informative.

I'm SO bad at technology!

So I am continuing to have issues posting onto other people's profiles, so I thought maybe posting my comments to others' blogs on my page would suffice until I get this whole thing figured out. I'm sorry that I stink at working with technology :(

To Amy:

"By giving the students the ability to collect data, develop predictions and descriptions, and learn about different objects used when dissecting, everyone stays engaged and a variety of learning styles are addressed." I loved this quote! You really knocked it out of the park with that comment because you recognized the various ways to learn (which can often get lost in all of the other ideas bouncing through our heads when it comes to lesson planning!) as well as talked about the students like they were REAL scientists; they collect data, analyze their results, and so forth. I never thought, before this class, that students could have ANY idea of what a scientist really does...I always thought we were just playing make believe. But using those terms and treating the students like real scientists, as well as planning the lesson to be realistic, is the key to engaging students in an activity and feel that it is meaningful. As well, there is no better way to learn then through actual experimentation, which you noted in your blog.

To Hannah:

I love the idea of the new menu items! It challenges students to think about chemical changes in their everyday life. And I loved that you asked what wouldn't work, as well.

Be Blessed,

Karly

My "AH-HA!" Moment

Today in class we engaged in some Project Wild activities both indoors and outdoors. It was very physically active and fun and we learned a lot of new "tricks" to put in our teacher bags. But one part of the class really opened my eyes to what this education stuff is all about.

Since the day I walked into the education classroom freshman year, I've been read to, given coloring pages, had to sing, act, and do other child-like activities. And even though there were times that I felt a bit...well SILLY...I knew that the professor's modeling of the lesson was the best way to learn how to do it. BUT...it was not until today that I made an even deeper connection.
When a professor models an activity to his/her college students, it forces the students to act as elementary or middle school students. When we are required to act like these students, we begin to think like them, too. THIS IS WHERE SOO MUCH LEARNING HAPPENS! When I put on my student "hat", I can feel excited, engaged, encouraged, confortable, or I can feel insecure, confused, and shut off mentally and emotionally to my environment. These feelings help me grow stronger as a learner, which makes me stonger as a teacher because I am able to empathize with my students, as well as know what to do with their emotions. And let's face it...we all felt these emotions as elementary and middle school students, but how much of them do we vividly remember? Probably very few (I know that's my answer! haha)
As well, feeling these emotions again as an education student, I can analyze them and learn from them using the philosophies and ideas that I know, without risking another child's well-being.
This was a huge eye-opener for me  today: that professors model their lessons to their college students not only for them to learn how to do the lesson, but also to know what your children will be feeling and experiencing during the lesson. Knowing those emotions will help us to better address the student and solve his or her problem effectively. I JUST LOVE THAT! I know that for some people reading this, you will probably think something like, "Well DUH, Karly. It took you that long to figure that out?" But I just thought I'd share with you my AH-HA! moment.

And thank you, Butler Professors, for giving me more knowledge than I know what to do with!

Be Blessed,

Karly

Class: Tuesday, September 6, 2011

Class was ABSOLUTELY AMAZING! We learned so much and walked away with many lessons to use in our own classrooms...with little cost to us! I tried the M&M lab, where we placed M&Ms in water and watched to see what happened. We noted that the different colors reacted to the water differently, and some of the Ms floated! One thing that I found very interesting was the reaction of the people in the class to the kitchen science; many of the (COLLEGE) students were just as excited as elementary students would be! I'm finding myself making inquiries, thinking critically, and wanting to continue to experiment with the materials and ideas that are presented to us. That is a magical thing! To have your students excited and thirsting for more learning experiences...it is what every teacher dreams of! I am also seeing that people in the class who maybe didn't love science before now, including myself, are the most excited students in the room. This shows me that no student, regardless of age, is incapable of changing their mindset on a subject. As well, no person is incapable of learning.

I also really appreciate Dr. Wright's ability to recognize her students' needs and fulfill them. In class, we began to discuss Bloom's Taxonomy, which many of us had only been slightly introduced to. She made note of this and provided us with the example she used in class. This is a great model of working to your students' needs. As well, she found that we were all enjoying kitchen science, as well as learning and inquiring from it, so she planned to continue the activity. These are the actions of a great teacher and I am so glad that I get to experience this teaching style and learn from her.

I look forward to learning more about the many techniques of teaching science. I have gained not only an interest in the subject, but a growing comfort in learning AND teaching it. I'm ready for more and I hope you all are too!

Be Blessed,

Karly

Picture-Perfect Science!

The following are my thoughts on Chapters 1-3 (plus the Preface) of "Picture-Perfect Science". I would like to mention how much I loved the teacher that was talked about in the Preface. I hope to be somewhat like him someday in my enthusiasm and interest in Science.

"Science textbooks can be overwhelming for many children, especially those who have reading problems.They often contain unfamiliar vocabulary and tend to cover a broad range of topics." Although this isn't directly related to my education philosophy, I find it to be a very important idea that I, as a teacher, must keep in mind. I can also relate to this personally because I have always struggled to understand science concepts. This statement leads into the idea that we, as teachers, must be alert to what science topics are developmentally appropriate. As well, we should be able to modify them when they are not. I loved the book's idea about pairing fiction and non-fiction books to create a well-rounded science experience.

"Asking questions is not only a critical reading skill, but it is also at the heart of scientific inquiry and can lead students into meaningful investigations." This sentence is so rich with knowledge. First, I love the idea of using multiple subject areas and ideas together in one lesson. That way, students can learn a variety of things in a matter of minutes! (because we all know 180 days can seem really short in relation to what needs to be taught/learned). Also, the idea of inquiry is so interesting and important to me. When I visited Warren Early Child Center as a first year, I loved that the teachers focused lessons around their childrens' inquiries. This makes the lessons more meaningful to the student AND teacher. I look forward to learning how to do this!

And last, I LOVED the 5 E's of science learning!! I cannot wait to put these into use and learn more about how to use them to their fullest potential!! My questions for this are: How can I do all 5 effectively? Will I have moments where I think I've covered them...but I really haven't?

Thank you and be blessed,

Karly

Oh! The Nerves!! :)

Hello! My name is Karly and I am a student studying Early/Middle Childhood Education at Butler University. When we were instructed to make a blog for our class on Science and Social Studies, I was SO NERVOUS! What if I couldn't do it? What if mine was too simple or had a lot of errors?! But, to my surprise, it is VERY EASY AND FUN to create my own blog! :) I look forward to posting the new, fun, and exciting ideas that I learn from my education classes, as well as the few ideas I think up myself. But, I must ask you to stick with me...I'm still trying to figure out this whole technology thing. (;P) Until I see you next, my friends, have a wonderful life.

Be Blessed,

Karly