Group projects

Today's topic in the education universe is  in the planet Group Projects. They have there place most defiantly, and some of my favorite memories involve them.  But so are some of my worst. Especially when the teacher assigned us a partner and we have no say.  I always viewed projects with a certain amount of trepidation. Its especially bad when no one likes each other in the group.  The way I saw it, there were 3 types of  partners-the good one-she let you do work while doing her own. the selfish one-she thought you were no good and did all the work, then there is the reverse of that-where the partner you have to deal with is lazy or mean and you do all the work (whether voluntarily so you get a good grade or whether you have to).  There are of course ways to keep them from being so bad.  For the selfish one, just say something like  "wow I feel like you are working way to hard, why don't I do x y or z"  then do it.  Also you can do that with someone who doesn't work.  "Wow I feel like I'm not letting you do anything, why don't you do xy z?"

Team projects are a great way to incorporate technology in the classroom. Hello web-quest! There are numerous ways to do the incorporate technology thing.  Especially if you are in a school  where each kid has his or her own laptop. 

  Children need to feel empowered sometimes. But, if you let them pick partners, the same groups always form,and the same girl  is always left out. A group project is a good way to meet people and get new ideals, also to work on those ever important social skills.  But if done in the wrong way, no one learns and no one has fun. So, What is a poor teacher to do? I always liked it best when we had a choice-of our partners and of whether to even have partners.  I dont know about you, but I always liked working alone.   I also think that we should plan lessons on how to act...a social class.  how to act with people.  I know that would have helped me tremendously. Here is a good website to get you started.  Lesson Plans Inc  Its a good website for some ideals-especially science.

As always I am willing to learn, so, comment away and have fun!  Todays picture is from  http://www.plu.edu/~alberttl/collaberation/home.html

The M word!

Usually when I hear the word Math, I hear scary music in my head. Either Jaws or the music from the shower scene in Psyco. It depends on my mood, the type of math and-surprisingly, who is teaching it.

Yes, I've always know that teachers are important, I just kind of naively assumed that children are natural learners and will learn with or without a teacher. Sure, a good teacher is a good thing to have, but if the teacher is sub par, the, students will learn, just not as much or as well as they would have. Now, that makes me laugh. It is all about the teacher! If the teacher is bad, the students just don't learn. At all. It's a big deal. If you don't like the teachers personality you can get by. If you can't stand his or her teaching style, just get outta there! Its not worth the time or heartache or money you'll spend there. Anyway...that's how I feel about math but I am trying hard to work on that so as to not pass that on to my students. (and be a good teacher to boot)

That brings us to how I feel about another issue in the education universe: planet math: country: calculators. I am all for them. Mental math is all well and good, but really? Can you take .4569 divided by3.445? In your head?? Probably not, so what do you do? Use a calculator. In the "real world" (where is that anyway?) we all use calculators for stuff, especially tipping. so, why do we expect our poor students to do fractions and decimals in there heads? As soon as they learn these things... they learn a way around them. And really have you ever seen something 68 and 1/3 % off? I think not. We need to make math (and all subjects) accessible to our students so its written in "their language".  Also, I feel the point of education is to get the student ready for the real world.  So..Go calculators!!

We are supposed to encourage technology in the classroom, but calculators continue to be a bone of contention?  really world?  OK. Technology in math is hard-ish.  A hands on spinner is much more effective for probability then one on a smart board.  Hands on is always more effective then something on a screen.  But if you don't have spinners, here is a good website for spinners.  Its called Math Playground. So how is a teacher-to-be supposed to use technology in the math classroom?  I honestly don't  have many ideals... Math is kind of ether pencil and paper or hands on.  If you have a project based school then its easier...but still.  Maybe I'm reveling the college student in me, but I'm young and can learn.  So comment with ideals.

I also think (being young and naive) that timed tests are crazy. If they know it in 2 seconds or if they know it in 2 minutes....the point is that they know it. Speed comes with time and isn't the understanding more important then rote memorization? They teach me that it is.

Memorization is another thing thing that comes with time. If you know it, you can allow a second or 2 to think about it. It does have its place, I just think its not as big a deal as everyone says.

Ya I have a lot to learn and I know I have highly idealized the teaching profession, but hey, I'm young and can learn. That's the point of collage.  That's why I'm here and frankly I can't wait 'tell I find out what its really like! That's all folks! Until next time!  As always I'm willing to learn, and to hear your opinions, so leave your comments below.
Todays picture is from http://www.techpin.com/cool-math-games/

Space!

How to make Science fun? This is the eternal quest of teachers (and teachers to be) everywhere. I think its one of the top teacher questions a teacher can ask (up there with how to get children to even tolerate math-more on that later)
So that's the question. and the answer is...(insert drum roll and model handing an envelope to an announcer in a tux here) projects! Making 3d models was always fun for me (if the teacher did the partner thing right) and several websites that I will link to will help with technology in the class, and the students will have fun.  its a win win!

The deal with this website is that you need a password. But its run by N.A.S.A. so, its accurate, and you actually help N.A.S.A. with there projects! Fun and informative wrapped up in technological goodness! For Moonzoo, one or other of N.A.S.A.s telescopes beams pictures of the moon-close up-very close up of the Moon and you hi lite bumps and ridges for them. They are defined for you. Moonzoo is part of the Zooniverse project. another part of this project that is fun and easy to do, is Galaxyzoo. In this one it lets you categorize actual galaxies. It goes simply and quickly so that even younger students can do it. N.A.S.A. has several other parts to this project that I haven't had a chance to look at.  I also added a dorky movie that I made. 



Moonzoo.org
http://www.galaxyzoo.org/classify
Anyway gang, that's all Ive got for this post, so, see ya in cyber space!   I always want to learn, so comment are always appreciated. 
Today's picture is from http://www.courier-journal.com/blogs/bruggers/2007/04/out-of-this-world.html

Literary arts

Hey again gang! Imagine this, you assign a paper. To make it more interesting to your students you let them write about whatever they want. then, the inevitable-one of your students asks for an ideal, but you really don't have any prepared. Where do you turn? where do u go? what do you do? Well, I have come across several good sites that are "topic generators" that you can turn to. http://www.writingfix.com/classroom_tools/dailypromptgenerator.htm
(scroll down-It really is there)
http://www.daydreamingonpaper.com/random.html
I like these because you just push a button and get all sorts of fun, creative, writing prompts that will inspire your students.  It also uses technology-oh so important.
If you were to have your students write every day a good site for that kind of thing is http://www.creativewritingprompts.com/
I think that having your children learn about writing is important(and obviously the state agrees with me...it is in there standards) but computer use is important today and will only get more more important over time. These sites are a good way to combine both. Have fun writing and useing technology in the classroom!

So, this weeks picture is from
http://www.watermelon.org/educators-lessons-arts.asp

Hey-its 2011!

So, I'm back to blogging. My online class wants me to, so I'm glad I kept this subscription. I'm nervous about an all online class-but I'm bumbling my way threw. ha-ha.
When I have time I do enjoy blogging, but-I usually don't have time, so, I'm glad I have the opportunity to start again-and about something more mature and useful then books-
I did find some WAY COOL websites for another project, related to education-of course -so I'll get to share them all with you!
Sites4teachers.com this is a useful data-base for teachers. I found a ton of the lesson plan parts extremely helpful and hope you do too. The only thing is, if you want a specific lesson plan (which at this point in my education is all I've used) it's hard to navigate. I found it's best used as an ideal generator, then go to other websites such as lessonplans.com for more concrete plans. (its tricky also-most of the sites I've found are-wonder why?) I guess if you know exactly what theme you want to teach it would be OK.
I'm not sure what grade I want to teach, but my lesson plans tend to the 4th to 6th grade side of things. Especially in Science.-that's a whole other blog topic-I love science, and language arts can be fun.
If anybody has any cool websites they have laying around there junk drawer, let me know- post the link on a comment. If you have ideals on why those websites are hard to navagate-or if you want to tell me that I'm crazy, lemme know-comment away!
I always enjoy comments. by the way, the cute pig is from http://www.zabrigraphics.com/graphics/act,categories/cid,13/

I want to suck your blood ! (not so much)

Hey all you literary people! (i need pizza! help!)

Ok, Today's topic is not one book, but a whole genre. the genre is vampire books. i think its a passing trend and its good and all.... just over exposed PEOPLE THERE ARE OTHER THINGS OUT THERE THEN EDWARD AND JAKE OK? get over it. twilight is good and all but even in the vamp world- twilight's not all. even if you cant stop your otherworldly obsession, try anything but Twilight. The one i am currently liking is Night World by an LJ Smith.... 3 books in 1 binding and its a series...cool! read it. a vampire book i am wanting to read is Marked but just haven't had the time. ya.... i know being Anti twilight is bad at the moment... so i will say, I'm not anti twilight I'm just pro-other books (ya! other people wright too ya know! Stephine Meyer isn't the only author in the world!) ! will however say I am SOOOOO team Edward! Ha! Jake can go die!

see ya and thanks for coming- that's all folks!

Law-In New York you can get fined 25 $ for flirting (ha ha want ta go to my place? 25! )

quote-If only Faces could talk-Pat Summerall

word-quiescent-at rest

the outcast of 19 schuyler place-EL Konigsburg

hey all u literary people (or bookworms.... whatever you want to call yourselves....)

Margret Rose Kane prefers not to do lots of things at camp Taequa, the summer camp she has been exiled to while her parents vacation in Peru. She prefers not to do so many things that her uncle has to come and get her. (what she wanted to do anyway) The director is evil and her cabin mates are cruel.... so she wants her Uncle to come get her. so she has spent a few weeks at her uncles house but she soon figguers out what secret her uncles are keeping from her. the lovely toweres that almost everyone in the town loves (almost being the opperitive word) are being taken down! why? they are not "historical" (they have been up and a center of the town for over 40 years) the town councel also says that they arent safe...(children have helped put christmas lights on them scence they were put up ,and climbing on them for fun) and hords of other things so Margret Rose ...... well, to see how she trys to save the beautiful towers (or if she even does) youl just have to read my book!

anyway! a really good book. EL Konigsburg has wrote other litterary treasuers also.... the mixed up files of ms.Basil E Frankweiler, The view from Saterday and a bunch of others... a good preteen book about art outsiders and being true to yourself. She also won 2 Newbery medals.

dont forget to note me, take my poll and of course read my blog!
thats all folks


law-in ancorage Alaska its illegal to tie a dog to the roof of your car(duh! )

quote- you guys line up alphabeticaly by hight (by our last name or first name coach?)