Friday, March 27, 2009

A Whole New Mind Review

Well, its been a while since my last post and its time for me to open up my mind again and share with you some thoughts. During Spring Break we were required to read A Whole New Mind by Daniel Pink, however I do not see this book as a requirement I see it as a helpful tool. I thought it was a great resource for aspiring teachers who want to provide their students with a technological learning environment where all the lessons are accommodating to their own learning styles.
In the book Pink talked about the six senses, which I thought were really interesting and a great way to determine the most accurate way to teach children. My favorite two senses of the six were design and play. Design is a big part to every teacher's classroom and curriculum. Teachers want to make sure they design a classroom environment that will produce a positive place where children can have fun and learn at the same time. Teachers also want to make sure they design a curriculum that will cover the most developmental areas and address the most areas that the children need growth in. Play was another great sense mentioned. Play is always important in the classroom and I believe it produces the most learning within children, especially socially. Technology provides a lot of opportunities for both design and play. Technology and classrooms are evolving so fast that it is essential for prospective teachers to stay informed, which is why I am glad I had the opportunity to read this book.
That's it for now until next time...

Monday, March 9, 2009

Using my Skype webcam

Hello again everyone! I know it has been a while since my last post, but I had to give my brain a little mental break and shut it down last week, but now it is time to reboot. I did get a chance to have a technological experience over my week break when I had a Skype conversation with my cousin that I have not seen in months. It was so cool to see her and be able to talk face to face, not just a regular old phone conversation anymore. My family members and I have taken a giant leap into the technological future. After having my Skype conversation with my cousin I started thinking about how beneficial Skype webcam would be in the classroom. It could really give kids an interactive learning experience from a educated perspective and the educated side does not even need to leave the comfort of their home, office, or classroom. I hope that I continue to have positive experiences with Skype, because I am seriously considering using Skype webcam broadcasts in my future classrooms, so my students can have a variety of different learning experiences in school. Till next time...