End of a Class: Recap

Well, 'tis the end of the term...well it's very close anyways! I know there are still two more classes left for EDPY, and I am kind of sad about it. I actually enjoyed the class and I do like this blog assignment. I know at first, when I was trying to blog on this class, I found it difficult and just felt like just kind of retyping my notes. I would have very little interaction but near the end, I found I could use ideas from my other education classes to go with this class.

I enjoyed the TED videos. Thought they were very helpful and relevant to what we were discussing in class. I thought that it was really cool that at some point or another, all my classes crossed paths at some point or another. It was so cool. Each class was reinforcing another class' ideas and the like. Piaget, Vygotsky, Skinner, reinforcements, Bloom's, Newton, Calvin, etc. all crossed paths at some time. Their ideas were reinforced and also I was able to see different lights for each one. It was sometimes hard to see one side from another (especially in from a historical view to an educational view....I struggled with John Calvin and his sides I saw).

I wish our class spoke more freely that just us few that always participated in class. It would have been nice to have large class discussions, instead of trying to fish for someone to even talk.

I like Robert as a professor. I enjoyed my time in class. He is very helpful and willing to help us out when we ask or need it. I loved how he would get so excited over such things. It was cool.

I will be using my flash cards for the exam (my whole stack of them!) as we break for the finals. I was impressed how my first exam was 60% and then I jumped to 91%. I was literally dumbfounded by that, considering how I felt after the last exam. Actually, this last month I have been rocking at my assignment and exams and I am not sure how I am doing it. I hope it continues into the finals!!!!

All-in-all, it was an excellent term.

Welcome Hatsune Miku - Digital Singer, real concerts!

If you watch the first video, you will see a normal concert at first; a real audience and band.  But low and behold, there is something new when the singer comes out!  Yes!  It's a hologram of an Anime girl named Hatsune Miku, who became very popular in Japan before she made her real life debut!  It's not even a real girl sings, as you see in the second video I have posted, which explains everything. For other information, there are three other characters like Miku that sing too and do concerts, just to let ya know!

As I watched this in my EDFN 341 class with Richard today at the end of class, it was quickly brought up that Brad, Richard, and other teachers had a slight debate about this. Why? Because this is what we, as teachers or even society, is moving towards. It's going to be like Star Wars with the message holograms and what not! Ok...who knows if that will truly happen, but the video with Miku certainly makes us wonder what we will have to be dealing with later. Will there be school anymore? Will children be learning at home and taking their lessons from a hologram? Will it be interactive? What WILL it be like???

I know I had said in class, that this is no different than Skyping (talking over the internet with video [web cam] to anyone in the world. Video conferencing). I know the Alix school has a class or two where their teacher is from another school and is teaching the Alix students while not even there and is using video conferencing. I know some other girls said this would be good if used correctly and not over done. I know someone else said there is no interaction with between students and the teacher anymore, so children will miss out on developing social skills.

I don't know. I am kind of on the fence. As I watched the video, I was in awe. On one had I thought it was pretty cool (c'mon, it seems like Japan is always leading in technology so I am not surprised) and on the other I thought, "Don't you spend the big bucks to see the real singer?" I guess you do. Miku is only a fictional character after all, with no actual human who plays her voice (computer done...see Video 2). This can be pretty cool if done right. Though makes me wonder if I will be teaching in an actual class/school or be teaching at home. Maybe I will be teaching 1 or more classes at the same time on the same subject with students from different schools or such.

The future looks a bit foggy for us students who will be in the field in 2-3 years. No one is quite certain with how technology will be used. I think it'll be interesting to see!

Watch both the clips and enjoy! I thought they were interesting and thought provoking (obviously).

Midterm #2

I just have to gloat on here a little bit about my midterm #2 that we had around two weeks ago.  I got 91%!!!!!  I am so thrilled about this because my first test was 60% and I was pretty disappointed about it.  And this was weighted more too, so I am happy that I got an awesome mark. I KNOW i got FAT city wrong because I had left it blank, but now I know it.  Was funny.  I had studied all of the video but never thought to remember what FAT stood for.  I am not sure how I pulled this off...I just rewrote my noted in a condensed form and memorized it.

After last class on Friday when we had discussed study aids and such, I went to the Bookstore and bought some flash cards to help me study.  Even got the coloured ones to try Lindsey's idea.  The intro is on blue, IQ questions are in yellow so far.  Green is going to be the Rick Lavois video and on, then will do Pink in what we have been discussing since the last exam. I am hoping to ace the final, so here's for shooting for the stars!! EDPY is my first exam too, so I hope I will do well!

Francis Wayland Parker

I made this video through xtranormal and figured it applies to this course as well.  enjoy!  It''s talking about Francis Wayland Parker, who was thought of "The Father of Progressive Education."

Why Do I Want To Be A Teacher?

Why do I want to become a teacher?   Midway through high school, I was contemplating two different paths I wanted to take.  I elected not to take the psychology route because I am a person who enjoys languages, history, and culture.  During this time I was learning a second language and it was French.  I absolutely loved it, and enjoyed every minute of class.  I think my teacher had a big influence on that.  She was very enthusiastic and a ball full of energy!  She made sure the classroom was completely in a French environment.  Half way through French 10, it was French and nothing but French once you had crossed that threshold, and was the same for the rest of high school French.  As we learned the language, she also made the rule that nothing was stupid or weird; it was just different!  She taught us to be culturally tolerant, which is a great thing to have in anyone’s life.  She also taught us some history on France and Québec to help us understand their point of view.

As high school ended I thought I would love to be like my French teacher and make learning a second language fun and interesting like she had!  I believe that everyone should learn a second language, especially how our world is today with the multi-cultural areas that are developing.  It also could broaden ones horizons and see the flip side of a coin.  Maybe it will help one’s future travels!

(image from http://lestudio1.com/images/SolMarcFavreau.jpg)

It's SOL!  We had to watch old TV show episodes of him in French class to learn French.  Can't say he's not memorable!

 

I know some of the things I look for in a good teacher are what I want to be.  I would love to be that teacher who inspires their students, make them think out of the box, see things from another point of view, and show them that learning can be fun!  I think I would mostly be teacher-centered because learning a new language needs instruction.  Also, being a bit flexible, yet being able to keep control of the class is a good attribute to have.  Having a sense of humour and insight on the subject will enlighten the students’ learning ability.  Though, when I think of teaching I am a bit hesitant since it’s very hard for me to speak in front of people and sometimes I get frustrated when teaching someone something.  I look at these as things I can work on and will do better at.

Functional Analysis vs. Operant Conditioning

When we had discussed these two ideas in class, I think I am more on the side of functional analysis.  Why?  Well, just because that question.  There are always reasons for students behavior and teachers should know why to see if they can help the student.   To the student, it may show some humanity from the teacher if the teacher inquires; it shows that the teacher cares. 

We had talked about some ideas in class that can play a part of it all, and what we can do to help.  That was very helpful.  Gave us ideas on how we can change the behavior around and get a positive action out of it.

In my opinion, I think Operant Conditioning only work for the lower grades when the teacher needs to reinforce good behavior because it's a life skill the students will need to know. With positive reinforcement being more effective, this helps reinforce the skill taught in the lower grades.  As the students get into the higher grades, they don't care for getting stickers, check marks, or marbles to go towards something.  They'll behave the want to, so that is why I like Functional Analysis a bit more.  I think you can use it in many different grades and still be effective.

Inclusive Teaching Direction

This seems to be a very hot topic in the Education World.  I have heard of inclusive teaching since I have started this term and it always seems to bring mixed thoughts; no one seems to know what to expect.  I believe this will be hard on everyone: students, teachers, and parents.  I know I feel overwhelmed with this idea plus having to teach a classroom size at around 25-30 students and accommodate their learning abilities.

To make us less stressed for when we head out to our own positions in the next few years, I think special training with children with learning disabilities would be most beneficial.  With classes that are directed at these type of children, will help us the students to understand them.  This will also lead for us to come up with new ways to help teach the curriculum! We are all aware that we learn at different levels and teachers have to acknowledge that and try to accommodate each child.  With a class specialized to children with learning disabilities, that is something else that we can put in our tool boxes.

Also, I think schools need to have a support system for newer teachers.  It's already stressful for us, but to add to feeling abandoned makes it worse.  New teachers are under a magnifying glass for a while, and with that thought, we do not want to make a mistake!  And of course we will!  We're new and will need to make our own little niche in teaching world, but that can take years to perfect (if you can even perfect it!).  I believe if there is a designated someone who we can talk to with our issues, that would be beneficial.