Core Standards Five Questions

Physical Science Standard #1: Objects are made of one or more materials.

When I think of this standard I think of sedimentary rocks and how they are layered with different materials/types of rocks and build upon each other over time. I would start by bringing in a concrete example of sedimentary rocks for the students to see.

What do you know about this object (rock)?

What do you think it is in it/made of?

How did these materials get here?

How do you think it was made this way?

What are some other objects that are made of one or more materials?

Class and First Meeting

Last week's class really made me think, so much I don't think I have ever thought so much in one class. We touched on every single standard on our syllabus and how they  related to one another. I felt like my head was spinning and I was just trying to comprehend all of the information we covered in class. I realize that all of the standards are important separately but all come together in the end to affect each other, it is just so much to take in at one time. Hopefully we will continue to cover all the standards and go over how they connect so I can be able to understand them in the end to be a good teacher. The first meeting was interesting, I didn't know what to expect. I realized I need to become more familiar with the standards and student goals which will help me in the end. I also need to work on self assessment and become more familiar with the different levels of the standards. I will continue to work on this and hopefully in the end I will be able to be familiar with and understand all of them to be able to have a better meeting without being prompted as much and improve on my self assessment.

Why Magic Isn't a Good Answer

I think the answer to the popsicle stick trick doesn't involve magic. I think it was just an illusion where our eyes were tricked because we all physically saw the dot on the stick. We could probably use this example as something that we can learn from and in the future challenge our students to learn from. We shouldn't settle for "it's just magic" as an answer. We need to think critically and challenge ourselves to not just accept the simple answer as an easy way out. I think if we all tried to replicate this trick, we wouldn't be able to do it. With a little practice though, we could learn how it works to create an illusion.  As teachers and learners we need to think critically and challenge what is going on around us to constantly improve our learning.

Syllabus Standards

I think the syllabus standard that I will struggle with the most is the Cohesion of Framework. To me it is the most complex standard because it calls for students to understand all of the other listed standards and understand how they connect with one another. It will be a challenge because will take a lot of work to not only understand the other standards, but to also be able to connect them all together while teaching and having the meetings to defend our grade. I hope that by the end of the semester I will have gained the understanding to do this because I know it will make me that much of a better teacher when I do. I think that this standard is very important and key to being not only a teacher, but it separates the really good teachers from the average ones.

Science Methods Initial Reactions

I'm looking forward to this class because it is my first education methods class. I like science and can hopefully pick up some techniques to teach students the information so they can understand it. I'm not really sure what to expect and I'm a little nervous about the different grading system. I think that once I spend more time in the class and listening I will feel more comfortable and understand how things are going to work for the semester. I hope to understand the concepts and use them the best way I can in my future classroom. I think this class will be challenging just because it is so different from others that I have taken, but I really am looking forward to it. I think the most difficult assignment will be to videotape myself teaching a lesson because I will be able to see everything that happened, most of which I probably won't notice when I am actually teaching the lesson.

Digital Divide

The digital divide is the gap between people who have access to information and digital technology and those who have no or limited access to the same technology. Many think that if we provide information and technology to those who currently don't have it, that we can improve their quality of life. According to Edutopia, people in the U.S. are trying to close the digital divide in schools by using federally funded programs like E-Rate or the Technology Opportunities Program, which provide discounts to schools and libraries. Blackweb 2.0 says that in Africa, where less than 10 percent of the population has access to the internet, 14 fiberoptic cables are being laid in the ocean to connect Africa to the European and Asian data centers. They hope that by providing information to the continent, they will spark economic growth which they say go hand in hand. I think that the digital divide will show up in my classes because I know that not every student in my classroom will have access to the internet at home, and maybe not have a computer either. Depending on where I end up teaching, most of the class may or may not have access to technology outside of school. I will address this by giving students assignments that don't always require computer use, or when I do have assignments that require use I will make sure to give them plenty of school work time to complete it. I plan on using technology in my classroom because I think that it is a great way to help students learn effectively, but I will not use technology just to use it.

Technopoly Presentation

I think that our presentation went well for the most part. Our introduction went like I thought it would, everyone uses a TV, computer Ipod, and phone on a daily basis it just helped start off our presentation. I think it helped people in the class understand just how much we rely on technology daily, how much it really does control our lives which is what Postman was trying to get us to see in this book. He challenged us to look at the negative sides of technology, which is the exact opposite of what society always tells us to do. Technology is such a distraction in our lives and we spend hours everyday using it. The Twitter activity went well and I think everyone participated in at least one tweet. The ending discussion really wrapped things up bringing all the information together well I think. Hopefully our presentation got others to maybe see the other side of technology even though it will not change their thinking, it might get them to think twice.