Chapter 4
Quote: “In this environment, the participants all stand on equal ground-no one is assigned the traditional role as teacher or student” (50-51). I like this quote because it further demonstrates the author’s ideas on how the authoritarian style of teaching needs to be abolished. The students and the teacher can work together to create a valuable learning environment.
Question: How exactly can we teach high school students to collaborate with one another, if they haven’t developed those skills by the time we get them?
Connection: I try to include a lot of peer evaluations throughout my teaching. I think they will understand the material better if they are critiquing someone else’s work, and if they are working together to better their writing. I find that peer evaluations push the students to work harder on their essays and they are able to better revise their own essays after discussing positive and negative aspects to their writing.
Epiphany: In my English class, I can use blogs! This can allow the students to work on their writing in a fun and creative way, while allowing each student to share and collaborate with the class community.
Chapter 5
Quote: “They are constantly learning about the things that interest them, which are rarely addressed in the classroom” (57). We need to find a way to bridge engagement and interest in to our teaching.
Question: Are students using tools like Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook to better their writing and expand their ideas? Or are they merely using these tools for fun and ability to quickly communicate with friends?
Connection: I have noticed that my students are not motivated to read or learn about literary devices. I need to find a way to reach the students through their interests. They need to feel connected and interested in the material, otherwise they will not learn and understand the material to the best of their ability.
Epiphany: Creating online discussions can help bridge the private classroom and the public one. The students who are shy and do not want to break out in the open during class will feel more comfortable in an online community where they are not seen or heard.
Chapter 6
Quote: “Students learn best when they are able to follow their passion and operate within the constraints of a bounded environment” (79). Students need to feel passionate about their learning. They need to see connections to their own lives, ideas that are interesting, and fun activities that promote higher level thinking.
Question: How can we build a classroom community where students question and participate?
Connection: The understanding of knowledge is changing. Students feel that there is more to life than school and college, and are challenging the social norms of schooling. We need to be able to allow knowledge to open up and accept the changing society.
Epiphany: Tactile learning and getting to understand where your student’s passions are will really help to engage them. For example, the idea in the text was discussing how the basketball player will become more interested in learning about biomechanics because it may help him shoot baskets. I need to understand my students passions so I can bring in lessons that will engage them and help them grasp the concepts better.
Quote: “In this environment, the participants all stand on equal ground-no one is assigned the traditional role as teacher or student” (50-51). I like this quote because it further demonstrates the author’s ideas on how the authoritarian style of teaching needs to be abolished. The students and the teacher can work together to create a valuable learning environment.
Question: How exactly can we teach high school students to collaborate with one another, if they haven’t developed those skills by the time we get them?
Connection: I try to include a lot of peer evaluations throughout my teaching. I think they will understand the material better if they are critiquing someone else’s work, and if they are working together to better their writing. I find that peer evaluations push the students to work harder on their essays and they are able to better revise their own essays after discussing positive and negative aspects to their writing.
Epiphany: In my English class, I can use blogs! This can allow the students to work on their writing in a fun and creative way, while allowing each student to share and collaborate with the class community.
Chapter 5
Quote: “They are constantly learning about the things that interest them, which are rarely addressed in the classroom” (57). We need to find a way to bridge engagement and interest in to our teaching.
Question: Are students using tools like Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook to better their writing and expand their ideas? Or are they merely using these tools for fun and ability to quickly communicate with friends?
Connection: I have noticed that my students are not motivated to read or learn about literary devices. I need to find a way to reach the students through their interests. They need to feel connected and interested in the material, otherwise they will not learn and understand the material to the best of their ability.
Epiphany: Creating online discussions can help bridge the private classroom and the public one. The students who are shy and do not want to break out in the open during class will feel more comfortable in an online community where they are not seen or heard.
Chapter 6
Quote: “Students learn best when they are able to follow their passion and operate within the constraints of a bounded environment” (79). Students need to feel passionate about their learning. They need to see connections to their own lives, ideas that are interesting, and fun activities that promote higher level thinking.
Question: How can we build a classroom community where students question and participate?
Connection: The understanding of knowledge is changing. Students feel that there is more to life than school and college, and are challenging the social norms of schooling. We need to be able to allow knowledge to open up and accept the changing society.
Epiphany: Tactile learning and getting to understand where your student’s passions are will really help to engage them. For example, the idea in the text was discussing how the basketball player will become more interested in learning about biomechanics because it may help him shoot baskets. I need to understand my students passions so I can bring in lessons that will engage them and help them grasp the concepts better.