Journal Questions 1 - 4
5. Students in your middle school math class can solve problems for homework, but get confused on tests that cover several clusters. They don't seem to know when to apply one procedure and when to use another. How would you help them?
1. The ideas in this chapter that will be most useful to me in a future teaching situation are the guidelines for gaining and maintaining attention. The following are strategies for gaining and maintaining attention:
ReplyDelete• Use visual and auditory signals that tell students to stop what they are doing and focus on the teacher.
• Before transitioning, teachers should give concise, clear directions.
• Make direct eye contact with the student and use the student’s name while speaking in a firm voice.
• Write lesson objectives on the board and discuss them before beginning the lesson. Connect the new lesson to the previous lesson.
• At the end of the lesson, ask students to summarize or restate the goals.
• Teachers should use movements, gestures, or varied levels of voice inflection.
• Change the arrangement of the room or move to a different environment such as the outdoors.
• Open the lesson with a thought provoking question.
• Create an unexpected event to grab student-attention.
• Develop a lesson around the senses of touch, smell, or taste.
2. The content of this chapter that has changed my view of teaching and learning is the point/counterpoint conversation on memorizing. As a future secondary mathematics teacher, there will be formulas that students will need to have memorized in order to apply them to new problem solving situations. I think there is a place for rote memory when the facts being memorized can be effectively used by students in new situations. But I also believe that for students to achieve a high level of learning, they must not only memorize the information, they must be able to understand it and apply it.
3. I would design my classroom by applying Mayor’s cognitive theory of multimedia learning. Teachers need to provide multiple ways for students to understand, such as pictures, diagrams, graphs, films (visual) and explanation through lecture and text (verbal). But working memory should not be overloaded which is the information that a person is focusing on at a given moment. The visual and verbal information should be joined together in small chunks. When students lack a good base of the new knowledge being taught, teachers can have students use a memory strategy called Mnemonics. One technique is to have the student associate the item with specific places. Acronyms build memory by using the first letter of each new word or phrase to form a new, memorable word. Chain Mnemonics associate one element in a series with the next element. The keyword method associates the new word or concept with similar-sounding cue words and images.
4. A question that this information has evoked is the following: What if a student’s background knowledge contains several preconceptions that are incorrect which block the understanding of the new knowledge? How does a teacher change those preconceptions that the student has been incorrectly using for years?
5. In order to help students to know when to apply various procedures covering several clusters, I would have them keep a math journal of problem solving techniques and examples that apply to each problem. I would then allow them to use their journals for tests. Another method to help students connect concepts is to use the memory strategy of Mnemonics. The test could be broken up into separate clusters and given in chunks over a three day period. A chart displaying examples of the appropriate procedure could be referred to by students during the test.
1. The ideas in this chapter that will be useful to me in my future classroom are the ideas about memorization and storing information into your long-term memory. Using things like mnemonics can help my students learn and store information, even when they don’t even realize they are doing so, such as in a song or dance. Also, because this chapter focuses mainly on memorization, which is an important skill for elementary students, it gives me ideas and suggestions on how to best get my students to memorize anything from multiplication facts to the solar system.
ReplyDelete2. Students are not just going to learn by you simply standing at the front of the room lecturing and telling them information. They need to engage in the learning process and come up with ways of remembering information that works best for them. Simply allowing students to have a part in either the teaching or applying of a topic can help them to remember something and having them apply it can help them even more in their understanding. Students are not just empty containers you can fill with whatever information you want. They already have some information you may have to work around or clear up, and then you go from their teaching in a way that they best understand.
3. Using the ideas in this chapter, I can design my classroom activities to focus on games to help my students learn but still have fun. Having a lot of manipulatives, and educational games on the computer on in my classroom, can help my students by not always having to listen to a lecture about a topic, but be able to play a game but still learn the same information.
4. This chapter has made me wonder, with all the information about how we can best and easiest memorize, what about higher level thinking? Are there certain ways we should go about teaching problem solving or critical thinking that students would get the most out of?
5. My approach to this math class would be to discuss the problems logically. My math teacher, if she knew, always told us where a certain formula came from, which always helped me understand how and when to use it. Also, taking time all throughout the unit to go back and review the previous types of problems would help them to get to know when to use certain procedures for the different problems.
1. One of the ideas in the chapter that may influence me the most is the idea of the continual development of the brain over time. An example might be a musician who can read music and play it without being told. Another concept that will benefit my teaching is idea that what is already known is the basis for future learning. The difference between domain-specific knowledge and general knowledge is important to know and understand how it plays into the classroom environment.
ReplyDelete2. For me, this chapter has made a concept tangible and applicable to be used in the classroom. I must understand that students’ prior knowledge impacts how easily students can grasp a concept. In classes, especially art classrooms, students may come from different backgrounds or levels of experience resulting in some students being able to grasp material much more quickly than other students who have little to no prior knowledge. In a beginning level art class I may receive students that have a great amount of experience who are forced to take the lower level course as a prerequisite or I may have students who have never had an art class before.
3. As a result of the issues I may face with students lacking the prior knowledge to learn advanced concepts, I must seek to first assess students’ current knowledge and then teach to the specific levels of knowledge. The assessment of new students’ current knowledge is easily achieved through an in-class assignment. Teaching to student’s specific levels of knowledge or ability will require more effort. Fortunately, an art class allows me the ability to assign a project and let the students loose while assisting or teaching where needed. I may have all the students working on the same project, but I may require a more experienced or gifted student to take the assignment further thus resulting in further learning.
4. My biggest question from this chapter is how to apply some specific examples of working memory to teaching art. I understand how it is relevant, especially in mathematics, but I would like to experience specifics that can be related to art.
5. The students will need to be taught in ways the will help them remember the specific steps and the order that needs to be followed. During one large session, students may be able to grasp the information but they may not be able to retain the information. Students need to learn the information over a period of time. Distributed practice may be the best way for students to retain the information of the processes needed. Students will work on practice problems for a period of time then be given a rest before working again. This should allow the information to “stick”.
1.The idea in this chapter that I believe will be most useful to me is mnemonics. Mnemonics is the "systematic procedure for improving memory". I believe it is very important for me to find different ways to help my future students be able to learn and retain things easier. I know it helped me when my teachers did this for me, and I want to try my best to find certain methods that will help my students become better learners.
ReplyDelete2.This chapter has really opened my eyes to how memory truly works when it comes to being used in the classroom. Sensory memory, working memory,and long-term memory are all used daily in the classroom and in everyday life. They may all have different time lengths on how they can be used, but one always leads to the other if a student is properly taught. Memory is very important for everyone.
3.Based off of this chapter I would design my classroom based off of several mnemonics. I would try to come up with different games and activities to help my student's memory become better.
4.The question I have from this chapter is where could I find some other examples of mnemonics to help me teach my future students properly?
5.To help my students be able to apply the procedures for clusters of math problems properly on their test I would come up with math sheets that had examples of problems and the steps to work them. And I would make sure to go over them everyday with my students. Everyday I review the materials their working memory comes into play and they continue to build upon whatever is sticking in their long-term memory. Before they know it they will have no problem being able to apply what they do in their homework onto their test.
1. The idea in this chapter that will be most helpful to me is the idea that students learn at different levels, with different styles, and continually throughout the lifespan. The idea that no student learns the same, and no student has the same brain structure plays a very important role in how I will teach my students. This chapter has made it clear that students are always changing and learning. They are always building on prior knowledge and being able to create new situations and concepts.
ReplyDelete2. This chapter has changed my view of teaching by making me realize that no student is on the same congnitive level or learns the same way or at the same rate. As teachers, we have to be aware of this and be able to adjust what we teach and how we teach it to all different cognitive levels. I now know that there is a method to teaching and an acual skill to it. No students are the same, and it is important to realize this and be able to adjust and make changes all the time.
3. I would design my classroom with many different items that catered to every learner and every level of learning. I would have easy skills as well as moderate and difficult skills to accomodate all levels of cognitive ability and learning. There would never be a time when every student would be doing the exact same thing. They would be able to choose what they want to accomodate their best learning style and level of thinking.
4. A question I have from this chapter is: how do I accomodate all different learning styles and levels of ability in a physical education class that has freshman through senior level students?
5. I would break up every procedure and have them master them one at a time. I would also allow them to ask questions and give them the proper information about when to use what formula when. I would give them adequate time to practice and master each new piece of information before I clustered problems together on a test and made them make the decision on which method needs to be used.
1. The ideas in this chapter that will be most helpful to me was learning about how our memory works. I need to keep in mind not to overload students and to always review things that way information gets into a student's working memory and hopefully their long-term memory.
ReplyDelete2. The content in this chapter has really emphasized to me how important our memory is and how it is used daily in the classroom and it is important for students to learn things right the first time or it could hinder their learning in the future. Because if they don't, their memory will always bring it up the wrong way and it will be confusing to the student.
3. I would design my classroom in the way where it had lots of visuals that way the sensory memory could pick it up and they could learn from mit everyday and work it into their working memory. So, I would want to have a lot of bulletin boards, posters, etc. for students to pick up on and help them in the classroom.
4. A question from this chapter that might be evoked is what have teachers used in the past to use with students to improve their memory?
5. The way that I would deal with the situation is to take the concepts and separate them and have students accomplish each task with success, then move on to the next concept, and the goal would for them to understand them individually and them combine the concepts, that way you know every student knows the concept. But I would mainly have students achieve each concept one at a time until they master it, that way it is engraved in their brain and then move on to the next concept with the same goal in mind.
1. The ideas in the chapter that will be most useful or valuable to me in a future teaching situation would be understanding memory. To help students move information from their short-term memory, to their working memory, and then to their long-term memory it is vital that the teacher understand how memory works. It is important for the teacher to know that different ways of teaching can help different groups of students learn and that the more interactive teaching is, the easier it will be for the student to remember.
ReplyDelete2. The content of this chapter changed my view of teaching and learning by showing me that learning and teaching is not just a game of memorizing. In a sense when students learn they are memorizing facts but they can do it in a way that is not boring and outdated. Interaction promotes memory. With this said, I will do my best to teach in a way that will help students remember without making it seem like a script to memorize.
3. I might design my classroom using the ideas in the chapter by giving the students the opportunity to learn in hands on and interactive ways. I will do this by creating activities, asking students to come to the board, or even just asking thought provoking questions during my lesson.
4. A Question that this information has evoked:
How can I encourage students to think beyond the minimum of what is expected of them?
5. If a middle school class knows how to do their work in homework but gets caught up when it comes to tests of several units it is best to break it up and gives them quizzes a little at a time. Then, test them over all of the information. Seeing it in test form might help them get over fear or confusion they may have. It is also important to be extremely specific while teaching so they are a lot less likely to confuse one piece of information with another. Also, teach them some test taking skills. For example, work on all of the same types of question at the same time instead of switching from type to type.
1.The most valuable item in this chapter was the use of memorization techniques such as mnemonics. Using these a teacher can fully utilize a child's memory potential.
ReplyDelete2. The content in this chapter changed my view because it showed how easily we can forget. It showed all the different types of memory and how each can be used. By remembering this, it will change my teaching styles to adapt to what the students are retaining, and how they are doing so.
3.I would design my classroom in a way that it had important information on the walls displayed in an easy to remember way. For example, to remember the planets the line "My Very Earnest Mother..."
4. I have no questions.
5. I would have the students master each technique. Then I would the students discover the correlations between the technique needed and the type of problem. The students will be able to develop their own ways to remember the information.
1. I think the whole chapter had so many good ideas and things that will be useful in the classroom, but I’ll only talk about a couple. First, the whole information processing is so vital in learning. The teacher should try to understand how the students are learning things. This will help the teacher adjust her teaching to make the learning happen at its best. Another thing is how the working memory happens. Things like verbal cues or visual aids will go into students’ memories so when they hear it again, they’ll recall more easily. It helps the working memory to use things that go along with the phonological loop and visuospatial sketchpad.
ReplyDelete2. Something that changed my view of teaching had to do with the different kinds of memories (short-term, working, and long-term). Students can remember things for short term just to make the teacher happy, but they may not actually be storing it in their long-term memory so it is not beneficial knowledge because it won’t go to working memory. In teaching, it’s important to rehash things and review frequently so students can store knowledge in long-term memory so they can have the working memory knowledge.
3. I might put things up in the classroom that have to do with what we are learning so they can see it frequently and will subconsciously be put into their memory. This will help their working memory and help them recall better with the constant reminders.
4. I don’t really have any questions for this chapter.
5. The students know the material because they can complete their homework, that’s not a problem. They seem to have a problem with the working memory and how to apply their knowledge under the pressure of the test. Maybe what they need is review or more challenging homework. It appears they just need to review over the techniques and practice more.
1. The idea that I found most useful in this chapter was how the memory works. It says about how the working memory stores memory only momentarily before it is either transferred to the short or long term memory or it is just forgotten. I think that to utilize this to the students best potential would be to reemphasize a point shortly after it has been introduced to the students to try and increase the likelihood that something that might useful will be remembered.
ReplyDelete2. This chapter has showed me that I will have to spend more time on a subject area rather than brushing over things so that I can ensure that the students actually get to spend some time thinking about the subject that they are being taught rather than them just listening to a lecture and not actually thinking about what they are listening to.
3. The way that I would use this chapter to help design my classroom would be to ensure that I made my classroom engaging and to give students the best opportunity to learn and reach their full potential. It would have to engage students visually and get them thinking about the subject matter that they are about to learn.
4. One question that I have about this chapter is what are some good memory techniques to help students remember things such as names for things and how to spell them
5. To help these students I would gather a number of different problems that involve different procedures and then I would use one part of the procedure that stands out from the rest of them to draw attention to it and then use that to make them remember what situations that it can be used for and by drawing attention to something that stands out, it will also make it easier for the student to recognize what problem to use.