"We are preparing our students for a world we know nothing about."
This quote could not be closer to the truth. Our middle school students will be working in a world fifteen to twenty years into the future, meaning we will have no idea what is actually going on. We can prepare them for the world they are in at the moment, but we will not necessarily know if that will help them. The ideas presented in this book talk, about dealing with stress and taking care of the individual person, seem like a better way to prepare students. Every person needs to know how to deal with their stresses and know how to take care of their bodies. By showing students that they can release their stress by simply walking around the room or writing it down, like the activity we did, students can learn to manage their stress without the help of a teacher. It also teaches students how to recognize how they are feeling and what is causing these feelings. Sometimes, I believe, that people, students especially, do not even know that something is really bothering them until they are asked about it. If students can learn to recognize their "symptoms" on their own, they will be better off in the long run. We cannot prepare students for a world we know nothing about because of our lack of knowledge. However, we can prepare them to deal with themselves, which applies to any type of world.
Showing posts with label Book Talk. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Book Talk. Show all posts
Thursday, March 22, 2012
Monday, March 19, 2012
Book Talk: A Whole New Mind
I really wish that I was able to attend this class presentation. By the prezi, it seems like this was an engaging presentation. From what I gathered from the prezi, the aspect I loved the most was the laughing part. I know that I am always in a better mood after I laugh, I just did not know there was a biological reason why. I would love to be able to incorporate laughter, and the fun that usually goes along with it, into my future classroom. I also agree with some of my peers reflections that a laughter portion in a morning advisory period would be a great use of time, especially if the results are like that of the video. Having students start the day off on a good note cannot hurt their academic success.
Saturday, March 10, 2012
Book Talk: Student-Oriented Curriculum
13. Not all students immediately embrace this approach to developing curriculum.
I think a majority of people, teachers and students alike, might not immediately embrace such rapid change to their schools. Also, students like myself, who are super driven may not believe that they will learn as much from something that they themselves develop compared to the experienced teacher.
14. Conscious effort is needed to maintain focus on your long-term goals.
I feel this is something that needs to focused on with a traditional classroom, let alone a classroom where the students are have more say. Students might get really interested in a certain subtopic of the whole unit and want to spend forever doing stuff with it. If teachers lose track of the long-term goals, the class might not progress at the appropriate rate and students will be behind when they advance to the next grade.
15. A student-centered curriculum is demanding yet rewarding.
Since I have never actually experienced this type of curriculum I am not entirely sure. However, I feel that it would be more difficult to release most of the reins to the students, which would make this type of curriculum demanding. I myself, would constantly have to keep myself in check and not become too much in charge, which could be taxing. However, by the examples provided in this book, this system seems to grab students attention which therefore makes it very rewarding because the students learn more!
16. A student-centered curriculum requires adequate preparation and knowledge of oneself.
I feel like a student-centered curriculum requires more preparation than a traditional one because of the variety that can happen. In a traditional classroom, the teacher plans everything and can prepare once for the entire unit, unless something major happens. However, a student-led curriculum can change every minute with the students basically running the show. Teachers then need to be prepared for the completely unexpected plus what the students already decided on. Like I said in the above reflection, I would struggle with this kind of system because I would want to take charge. That is just my personality. I would have to really work at this type of curriculum, which required me to actually know my own personality.
I think a majority of people, teachers and students alike, might not immediately embrace such rapid change to their schools. Also, students like myself, who are super driven may not believe that they will learn as much from something that they themselves develop compared to the experienced teacher.
14. Conscious effort is needed to maintain focus on your long-term goals.
I feel this is something that needs to focused on with a traditional classroom, let alone a classroom where the students are have more say. Students might get really interested in a certain subtopic of the whole unit and want to spend forever doing stuff with it. If teachers lose track of the long-term goals, the class might not progress at the appropriate rate and students will be behind when they advance to the next grade.
15. A student-centered curriculum is demanding yet rewarding.
Since I have never actually experienced this type of curriculum I am not entirely sure. However, I feel that it would be more difficult to release most of the reins to the students, which would make this type of curriculum demanding. I myself, would constantly have to keep myself in check and not become too much in charge, which could be taxing. However, by the examples provided in this book, this system seems to grab students attention which therefore makes it very rewarding because the students learn more!
16. A student-centered curriculum requires adequate preparation and knowledge of oneself.
I feel like a student-centered curriculum requires more preparation than a traditional one because of the variety that can happen. In a traditional classroom, the teacher plans everything and can prepare once for the entire unit, unless something major happens. However, a student-led curriculum can change every minute with the students basically running the show. Teachers then need to be prepared for the completely unexpected plus what the students already decided on. Like I said in the above reflection, I would struggle with this kind of system because I would want to take charge. That is just my personality. I would have to really work at this type of curriculum, which required me to actually know my own personality.
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