Tuesday, April 14, 2009

Final Internet Safety PLE

For the final internet safety project I chose to talk to my oldest sister. She is thirty years old and has two daughters which are four and two. I decided I was going to talk to her about cyber bullying. The reason that I chose this topic is because I had never really heard of it that much until last semester and this semester and I think that it is something that kids could easily get caught up in. It's a horrifying idea to me that children do this to one another but then I thought that it is also something that can be totally prevented. I shared some of the videos that were suggested in class with her as well as some that I found on my own. I talked with her about how my nieces may be young now but she needs to talk to them about this to either completely avoid it or if asked to do it or if someone is doing it to them that they need to come to her. I can't stand the thought of any kids getting hurt like this and I hate to think of the internet as being another medium for kids to be mean. I think the talk went really well and my sister realized that it's never too early to talk about internet safety with your children and cyber bullying is a part of that internet safety. She also agreed that it is important that we teach children at an early age our guidelines for using the internet so they know their boundaries now. Talking with my sister helped me to think more on how I'm going to talk with my own kids when I someday have them, and how important it is to be informed of what is going on out there so that we can serve our children well.

Wednesday, April 8, 2009

Two things I learned

I really enjoyed sharing the presentations.
The biggest thing that I learned was that there are so many ways to integrate technology and it really can be integrated into any subject. I really enjoyed seeing the variety of lessons show in presentations.
The other thing I learned about was how to use a Smart Board or a Promethean Board in a classroom. It made me really want one in my classroom. I think that they are really useful and can be integrated in a fun way for the students. It is a really interactive type of technology! Excellent for younger students especially!

Tuesday, April 7, 2009

What I learned

What I learned from watching Michelle's project presentation was how easy using i-clickers in the elementary classroom can be. I also learned that that is how some tests are going to be given now so it is important to learn how to use them in my classroom. Like I've said in previous posts, because technology is such an integral part of our students' lives we really need to learn how to use it ourselves and incorportae it into our classrooms.

Internet Safety Reading

For my fourth article I chose to read "Leave It Alone" by Elder H. Burke Peterson Emeritus Member of the Seventy. I really enjoyed reading this article and one of the most important things that I learned from the reading is that "I plead with you to leave it alone. Stay away from any movie, video, publication, or music—regardless of its rating—where illicit behavior and expressions are part of the action. Have the courage to turn it off in your living room. Throw the tapes and the publications in the garbage can, for that is where we keep garbage." The reason that I felt this was so important is mainly because of the part where it talked about throwing it out regardless of it's rating. I think oftentimes we justify reading, watching, or listening to things because it's not R or X rated when in fact it is still filth.
This assignment was really good for me as I hope to one day be a mother. This is something that I realize I need to think about now rather than wait until I am confronted with a situation. I plan on sitting down with my children and setting standards for the type of media they view and how long they view media in general. I do want to point out to them that not all media is good and that it can be used to their advantage but they need to careful of deceptions within media.
I hope to use this newly remembered knowledge to my benefit and the benefit of those around me. I do not wish to be pushy or greater than thou but I do think that I can set an example to my peers and family simply by choosing not to participate in that type of media myself. I think that it is an excellent way to bring the spirit closer to you and also probably free up some time as well.

TechPowerPoint

Thursday, April 2, 2009

Psych Reflection #3

For my final reflection I chose to observe my mentor teacher, Mrs. Bernfeld. During the practicum I was able to learn a lot from her and watching how she taught. Some of the things that she incorporated into her classroom and her teaching style were distributed practice of many concepts, she used a lot of levels of the Bloom taxonomy, and I believe that she helped the students achieve expectancy x values.
When Mrs. Bernfeld would teach a new topic or concept, she would always teach it as a unit so that the students could have plenty of time to learn it and practice their understanding of it. This helped any student who would get behind to have practice more and students that were advanced were able to help others or get better at what they had just learned. I found this to be a really important and helpful way for her students to really understand and feel comfortable, as well as allow her to assess their how much they were able to fully grasp.
As I mentioned above my mentor teacher was also very good at incorporating the aspects of Bloom’s taxonomy. They were many instances when the students were able to analyze and evaluate new scenarios and situations, then after they had really looked at the concept they were able to apply it to their knowledge that they already had. All of these things allowed the student to remember the new information better. L
Finally, I think that my teacher did an excellent job of helping her students to understand that if they really believe that they can do something, then they can. The students were always encouraged, no matter how far behind they were, to continue trying and to continue to do their best, because that was all she wanted from them. I think that this class was so successful because of this encouragement.
I’m sure that I am looking at my teacher through rose-colored glasses because I feel that she knows so much more than me, but I still truly believe that she was an excellent teacher. I’m sure there are things that she could improve on as any teacher could improve on something, but I think that for this particular class she has done an excellent job of teaching to their needs. I hope that I can incorporate these practices into my own teaching so that I can really help my students succeed.

Tuesday, March 31, 2009

Final Psychology Questions

1. The divorce rate in the United States is the _______ in the world.

2. _______ is an understanding that other people are people too, with their own minds, thoughts, feelings, etc.

3. Aggressive children tend to believe that violence will be ________, and they use aggression to get what they want.


Answers: 1- highest, 2- theory of mind, 3- rewarded.