I can't believe how much time I have wasted on this tool. Actually, I do not consider it to be waste in anyway as it was thought provoking and I have learned so much! Listening to Sir Ken Robinson was amazing. I actually listened to him twice as I was was worried that I missed a few of his thoughts. I agree with 99% of what he said and I found it very enlightening. The idea that ADHD "epidemic" basically is driven by standardized tests. I agree with this as students are forced to conform in the classroom while material is being reviewed and forced down their throats at times. Students begin to think they are not good at school because their "gifts" are masked by scores comparing them to other students in only a few areas. We are sucking the fun out of learning.
Many of the divergent thinkers Robinson speaks of are those that we are tranqualizing with medication so that they are anesthisized to their creative way of thinking so that we might have a student who can self regulate. Although there are times this is necessary, what is missing from 40 or more years ago in school is the medication and the discipline at home.
The one point I do not see eye-to-eye with Robinson on is the joke he made that we put the students through the system based on their age as if this is a factory date. Although this is the rule, so many parents retain their children so that they will be older for their age. There are times when a child would benefit from another year, the retention rate is so great in some areas that we are really dealing with a mixed classroom by 1st or 2nd grade. As a rule, children do hit milestones at a similar rate developmentally. Retaining some children means they are off kilter for their entire school experience. I think that students should follow the birthday rule in their state and start school when they are supposed to.
1. Why do you think it is important to tie the technology to the objective?
I think it is very important that the technology meet the objective so that it is a tool to strengthen the learning and better meet the needs of that student's style. Technology is ever changing, but the objective in the content area is only being enhanced by the tools we use.
2. Why should we hold students accountable for the stations/centers?
Students should be held accountable for their actions regardless of their age. If they are old enough to use technology, they have to have a routine and system in place to use it. This is a form of self regulation and personal growth that all children need to be able to accomplish.
3. Visit 2 of the applicable links to interactive websites for your content/grade level. Which sites did you like. How could you use them as stations? How can you hold the students accountable for their time in these stations?
I visited tutpop.com first and cannot wait to use it! I did the math facts and the spelling. I love that they are playing against someone else! If students were to use this as a station, they could email their results or record them on a piece of paper as verification that they had completed a ccertain level or amount of time there.
I also visited Learning Games for Kids and thoroughly enjoyed using the social studies states game. It asked many states and capital questions and other ones were just asking what state certain cities were in. 5th grade could really use this for practicing for their states and capitals!
4. List two to three apps you found for the iPod Touch/iPad that you can use in your classroom. What do you see that station looking like? How can you hold the students accountable for their time in these stations?
Sight Words - kids can practice their sight words.
Brainpop - it doesn't get much better than this and offers a quiz and score.
5. What about other ways to use the iPod Touch/iPad? Share another way you can see your students using the device as a station
Itouches can be used in all literacy and math stations with the younger grades. It really creates a fun learning environment for the students.
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