Weekly Blog #4

This past week in class, we discussed a lot about how students learn. I really liked what someone's practicum teacher said: If you can't remember it, you didn't learn it.

That might be another motto in my classroom when I teach. I feel like I went through a lot of school without thinking. I memorized facts long enough to regurgitate it for a test, but my good grades did not really reflect what I had learned. I think it is really important for students to learn. If working on their own project makes them learn, then I will assign them to present different subjects in class. If they learn best by discussing with others, I will be sure to provide discussion time in class. Or they can use a class blog or wiki to share their ideas.

School is not just about spewing facts for kids to absorb. It involves so much more, such as teaching them how society works, social skills, personal development, and most importantly (I think) is to teach them how to think and learn. Most children do not understand how they learn and school is a place for discovery, so why not teach that too.

A really great goal for teachers is to help their students become lifelong learners. Find our what they like and dislike and show them how to appreciate knowledge. Lessons should apply to students' lives which may require teachers to incorporate current events, games, or media. Technology is going to be a part of every students' life by the time I become a teacher. It is a perfect way to connect to children and get them involved in their own education.

The lesson plans sites we found will be really helpful for teachers. You don't have to use the lesson plans exactly the way they are, but they provide an outline for what and how you can teach. The Instructional Architect is awesome because it provides lots of resources and a place to gather all of them. You can also see what other teachers have collected, such as Mr. Downs' WWII history lesson.

I also found EdHelper.com which is a nice website. It doesn't have a lot of options, but some are still helpful. Like this page about sound that my practicum teacher would really like. I think I will go show it to him.