Journals #6-10

Journal #6: Foster Creativity and Innovation through Technology




Vaidyanathan, S. (2012, March). Foster in creativity and innovation through technology. Learning and Leading, 24-27. Retrieved from http://www.iste.org/learn/publications/learning-and-leading/DigitalEditionMarch-April2012.aspx


The article tries to stress the importance of teaching elementary school kids about STEM (science, technolgy, engineering, and mathematics) by also using the aid of creativity and innovation. Projects that represent this idea can be expressed through projects such as game creating and modeling spaces.





The computer is the new art form, and creativity can be extracted from it. This makes art material fees relatively obsolete and there is always an abundance of materials. These projects can express each student's uniqueness, as it also targets their limitations for creativity. The thinking processes that the student's experience are the same kinds that they can express in scientific thought. SO, creativity helps in these STEM classes.


Q1: How would you incorporate creativity in your classroom?




I always like colors and cartoon. I think I would encourage my students to express themselves through making a story book about winning the lottery. This would require the students to plan/ strategize how they will spend their money and where. Students will use their creativity by making it presentable and add colors and cartoons of their creations. A well rounded project!


Q2: What kinds of careers do you think are involved with logistics and innovation?

One category in specific, I think of a fashion designer. A fashion designer has to think like an architecture in the sense that, "What makes this work?". A fashion designer has to think about measurements and think spatially. They would also put their creativity to use by picking what design and color to make their projects.






Journal #9: How to do more with less

Pape, L., Sheehan, T., & Worrell, C. (2012). Learning and leading. How to do more with less, 18-22. Retrieved from http://www.learningandleading-digital.com/learning_leading/20120304?pg=20&pm=2&fs=1


Schools are stuck in a predicament. They have to meet so many expectations with limited ability to do so. This article supplies a few suggestions to meet their digital age skills efficiently. In a blended classroom (face to face instruction with online learning practices), the article suggests that teachers engage their students in homework help with synchronous chat, or online collaboration where students are encouraged to work together. In classrooms that are flipped, a student may watch instruction online, and the teacher is responsible for engaging in what the kids have learned at home.


Despite on what type of classroom, both teaching styles may rely on the use of free resources. One example, blogs, students are encouraged to write about a topic where they are required to learn a topic and explain it to their peers. Wikis are another use of digital resources because the students are asked to collaborate with eachother, whether it may be large (wikipedia), or with themselves (create an online study guide). Another effective resource are social bookmarking sites, such as Diigo, to analyze, critique, and evaluate websites, plus they can share their findings with their peers. Resources, called "creative expression tools", such as Prezi, a technological presentation like Microsoft Powerpoint.


Actual examples from a school that engages in digital age skills can be digital story telling, that transforms traditional writing excersies compared the students' visual showcases that are more engaging. Other examples are comic strips and brainstorming, (using ToonDoo, they can create using language arts terms or ideas). Other ideas include, digital information organizing, social networking, digital games and simulations, and virtual learning environments.


Question #1: How would you incorporate digial learning skills in your classroom?

After reading this article, I thought that "ToonDoo" seemed like it would be a lot of fun. Being a future math teacher, I may want my students to incorporate a comic strip of their own. The subject would be about a student asking their teacher a specific math problem, and have the students answer the step by step explanation of the problem in a digital comic strip. The students would have fun and it requires the students to have to "map out" their thinking processes.


Question #2: Do you think it is important to teach students these tools? Or are these skills they will obtain through their own personal experiences?

I think that many of the objectives of these tools are resources that the student will learn as they learn by themselves on their own time. However, even though the processes and thinking may still be the same, a teacher assigning a new type of teachnology idea for the student will only add to their oustanding stack of "already know" knowledge.


Journal #10: Extra Credit: Web Adventures: Explore Science One Game at a Time

Bowling, K., & Miller, L. (2012). Web adventures: Explore science one game at a time. Learning and Leading, 34-35. doi: http://www.learningandleading-digital.com/learning_leading/20120304?pg=36&pm=2&fs=1


These "web adventures" demonstrates the educational outcomes that are possible when students use online games for science. They generate entusiasm for learning. Web adventures is a free website that allows the students to learn with science concepts, investigate virtual laboraties, and essentially they get to play the part of science careers. There is also a teacher version, where the website will recommend based off the teacher's curriculum. The site meets a lot of the National Science Education Standards. The site also qualifies as meeting the NETS standard that facilitates student learning creativity.


Question #1: Would you consider this Web Adventures site to be beneficial?

Absolutely! I like how this site can be integrated to fit the exact needs for the teacher and the student. A student would much more prefer to learn science through experienting for themselves, rather than to read about an experiment in their text book. With this site, the students have access to a virtual laboratory, which is much more safe, doesn't create a mess, and it is FREE!


Question #2: What are some critisisms about this site?

Although there are many benefits to this website, the student could really know a limited amount of what happens online rather than in the classroom. For example, the virtual laboratory that is available within this site can only contains only a small amount rather than what the student can experience in the classroom, physically doing the experiment himself. The student will learn the safety rules required for their safety, they will learn how to physically and correctly use the instruments in the lab, and they can see the actual results with their own eyes. I think this is the most effective and interesting for the student.