The assignment for November the 7th was to listen to podcast from the Maine department of Education called Mathematics with Technology.Both of these podcast would be helpful to me as a teacher.The first one talked about how math teachers are reluctant to try math technology in their classrooms.The podcast speaker Jude Chandler spoke about how technology could enhance and influence learning of math concepts.She said that technology is now one of the six essential principals in teaching mathematics.According to her technology in mathematics provides students with tools that provide feedback and reflection.She said these were to essentials that could really help students learn.According to the podcast using technology could also help gain valuable instructional time.
The other podcast was called thinking mathematically.It compared the use of the scientific method in science to understand science to technology and teaching children to think mathematically.Ms.Chandler said asking questions is important part of the learning process.She says using technology in math can increase critical thinking skills.Technology in math uses visual models,real world experiences,hands on learning to extend the learning process.The podcast even gave resources to look up to find mathematics technology help.

Another assignment we had was to listen and watch a podcast from Stanford university.The podcast was called "Growth vs."Fixed" Minds.The podcast was an interview with a professor of psychology who discussed a recent experiment at the college.It was a experiment in psychology with two groups of students.One group was given a study skills lessons the other group was given growth mindset lessons.These lessons were in eight sessions.
The point of the study was to see if students given growth mind skills would do better in school and they did.The teachers could pick out who had went to the growth mindset sessions.The growth mind sessions showed the students that the brain is continuously growing and just because they didn't know something didn't mean they couldn't learn it.Knowing this is supposed to help the students become better mentors.

The podcasts from WGBH were very colorful videos.I watched three because they were really interesting.My favorite was the energy on coral reefs.The video showed many of the coral reef dwelling animals.It showed how energy is transferred from the sun to the reef.The plants harvest the sun energy.Next the herbivores eat the plants.Then the omnivores eat the herbivores.Last the scavengers and decomposers continue the cycle.
This video cold be shown as part of a science lesson on coral reefs or suns energy or as part of food chain studies.The pictures were really good.As a teacher it is great to be able to show students things instead of just reading about it.Videos like this one can help students have a better understanding of information.This video had alot of information packed into a short amount of time.Time is also of great importance to teachers.There was another good video about the coral reef that could be shown in conjunction with this one.

The next assignments we had were very interesting to me as a future teacher because the podcasts we had to listen to was about a different kind of learning environment.The first one was called an edible schoolyard .The idea come from a restaurant owner who wanted children to have better lunchroom nutrition.I watched to video for this.The podcast and center of the environment was on a garden.The class went outside everyday for first period.The students planted,harvested,and ate from their garden.The garden experience was able to be carried into classroom learning with social studies,science,math,and many other important aspects of learning.The must important being life and social skills.
The other podcast for this assignment was called the global village.It is about another kind of learning environment that does not take place at the school though.It is on a ranch in Arkansas.It is a learning environment where American students became people from other countries poor countries like Guatemala.The students break into groups even a group of refugees.each group is given some supplies but not everything they need the refugees are given nothing.The students must barter with the other countries to get what they need to survive.They also live in housing like those people would live in.Refugees of of course get only shabby tents.The point of this experience is show the students that poverty and hunger are real.It is to make them think about the world outside of what they know and to think about how they can help.

This post is for assignment on six different podcasts .We were to listen to the podcasts and take notes on them.The first podcast was called smartboard lessons podcast the first notable thing about it was the icon to the cast looks like Simpson people.It was episode 150 that is alot of episodes.They started off with small talk weather and football.Which lead up to fall kind of being the end and this being their last episode on smartboard lessons.It was a good lead.They pretty much just had a conversation about links to other education sites like the k12 conference.
The next podcast was kidcast it used music to to begin the cast.The caster also used small talk to start his discussion off.He talked about his recent life changes.He discussed awrds and how to listen to podcasts to make your own podcast became something you want.
The podcast Edtech talk was different from the first one it involved 4 people in different places putting on a news show.I didnt care for this podcast.Each person would say a link to a subject and describe their link site.One subject was the election.Another podcast was connectlearning this was better to listen to and lesss confusing.
Macbreak weekly began the podcast with advertisments.Then a salute to veterans.That lead to a discussion on the past and present highschool boy outlook.They kept it fresh by introducing a new person in the cast and letting him talk about other casters and podcasts.The last podcast I listened to was about photography it also begin with advertisments and music.It was about new camara coming out and contest they had.They had the best conversation out of all the podcasts.They seemed to be enjoying the conversation and it flowed nicely.

Randy Paush's last lecture

This last lecture was interesting.He was given was given two to six months to live when he gave this last lecture.He is upbeat and looks to be in good health during the long duration of this lecture though.He even does some exercise to show that he feels fine.He talks of childhood dreams as motivations for life.He goes through showing how he achieved his childhood dreams.Some of them were achieved in not conventional ways.I really liked the expression he used about "experience being what you get when you don't get what you want."
Well this assignment is supposed to be about the teaching methods Paush used and advocated.Randy believed in hands o activities.He believed you learn more from doing then watching and listening.He taught electronic arts.He taught using stage performances which drew huge audiences.The stage performances would involve the audience.
Randy Paush taught his students to be self reflective he used bar graphs to help them see their social standing with there peers.This was also referred to as a feed back loop.This helped the students see what they should work on to be more accepted socially.This showed the students who had worked together what others thought of their demeanor and work ethics.
Randy's classes were advanced technology classes using the most invative technology possible.He taught about virtual reality and the students used it to create virtual worlds.They did this before anyone else really knew the things were possible.He liked to do group work liked to use students learn from each other as well as themselves and him.He liked to collaborate with each other as much as possible.