http://mind42.com/public/e4eb2c8e-b7e7-4e73-9687-cec42377342d
Link to Activity
Wednesday, July 2, 2014
Module 3. Unit 2: Activity 4 Application Lesson Plan
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B47lIVjUo1x4Vm05YXNLeXVNTzA/edit?usp=sharing
Link to view
Link to view
Module 3: Unit 2: Activity 3. Group Project.
https://docs.google.com/document/d/13AJI-6YA8UWJ2NdtrA8kLkSF8ucxnirDbV4q1-koMLA/edit?usp=sharing
Link to view this activity
Link to view this activity
Mod 3. Unit 2: Activity 1 Teach Now
https://drive.google.com/folderview?id=0B47lIVjUo1x4OVg4b3ItRUU0bWs&usp=sharing
Here is a link to a folder where you can view this activity
Here is a link to a folder where you can view this activity
Teach Now: Mod 3: Unit 1, Activity 1. Brain Based Blog
It is a widely known that the
children who are in primary and elementary school s today are going to need
skills for jobs that aren’t even invented yet, so any education that we are
providing today needs to be pursuing technology. The concept of using brain-based learning to
meet those needs is an interesting one. Brain-Based Learning refers “to
teaching methods, lesson designs, and school programs that are based on the
latest scientific research about how the brain learns, including such factors
as cognitive development—how students learn differently as they age, grow, and
mature socially, emotionally, and cognitively”(Education Reform, 2013) I can
see if the principles of brain-based learning are applied in a classroom that
they can indeed have a positive outcome on learning and there has been some
research done that has indicated that children with reading difficulties have
really benefited from this approach (Fink, 2006).
The twelve principles of
Brain-Based Learning as presented on by the Sonoma Dept. of Education are as
follows: 1) the brain is a parallel processor; the brain is a complex adaptive
system, 2) learning engages the entire physiology; we have to account for the health
of our students and that the brain is social brain, 3) the search for meaning
is innate; it is programmed in us as a survival mechanism to seek the meaning
of things, 4)the search for meaning occurs through patterns; our brain seeks to
have organization and categorization and resist “meaningless” patterns,
5)emotions are critical to patterning; our brains cannot separate emotions from
cognition but rather they are intertwined, 6) every brain simultaneously
perceives and creates parts and wholes; educators must engage both hemispheres of the brain
simultaneously, 7) learning involves my focused attention and peripheral
perception; children learn from everything and educators need to provide rich
learning environments, 8) learning always involves conscious and unconscious
processes; we learn not just from what we are told but also what we experience,
9) we have two types of memory, spatial and sets of systems for rote learning;
we have specialized memory systems which need to stimulated and educators need
to consider them when designing lesson plans, 10)brain remembers best when
facts are embedded in to spatial memory; learners are more successful when
lessons are more dynamic , 11) learning is enhanced by challenge and inhibited
threats; stress can sometimes be positive to learning,
and 12) each brain unique; there is no one set type of student but rather
everyone will bring their own unique learning style and approach (Sonoma
County, 2013).
Students today are more and more
becoming digital learners. It is a simple fact that teachers cannot escape.
Teacher are no longer required simply provide facts and content rather teachers
are relied upon to provide their students with the ability to process the
content and make it meaningful. Looking at the brain-based principle that “the
search for meaning is innate”, gives a good insight of the type of learning
climate teachers need to create. When
teachers provide the students with exciting and meaningful ways to learn,
students will innately use the digital tools they have around them to satisfy
their desire for discovery and challenge. Tools such as computers, smartphones
and tablets can provide the students the ability to seek out new rich sources
of learning. Technology has increased our ability to gain information and it
incumbent on the teachers to use this resource to better the knowledge base of
their students. There are many practical
ways to apply this principle in your classroom; I have often given my students
internet scavenger hunts on a variety of topics. For example, during an
elementary level geography lesson on world capitals, I got my students to
search out facts about a list of capitals and then put together a presentation
on the one capital. The students will expand on the topic by finding out unique
and strange facts about capital city they have chosen.
Another principle of brain-based
learning that we could apply to the topic at hand, is that “the brain
understands and learns best when facts and skills are embedded in natural
spatial memory”. The spatial memory is a memory system that allows for instant
retrieval of experiences. Students thirst for experiences that come off the
blackboard and are brought to life in the classroom. A Speak Up report
conducted in 2012 found that 75% of student in the K-12 system are using
educational games as a way of learning. In that same report, 29% of students
have used YouTube in some fashion or another to aid them in completing their
homework. Furthermore, scientists at NanYang Technological University have
found that an hour of playing a video game helps improve overall cognitive abilities.
In the study researchers looked at spatial memory, visual attention, the
ability to filter out distractions, multiple-object tracking and multitasking.
They found that each area was improved by playing games in all of the 75 participants
(Patterson, 2013). We can see that students have already made the step to
become digital learners and teachers need to adapt.
There are ample ways of applying
this principle into the classroom, such as having students utilize their
smartphones to search and download applications such as Socrative. This application has a variety of educational
games they you can actually play with the entire class rather than the students
playing individually. The game can be facilitated by the teacher and the
results can be presented on main screen for all the students to see. In the
same Speak Up report, it showed that 80% of students from grade 8 to 12 are
mobile phone user; it seems to me that it only makes sense to take advantage of
an opportunity to get students thinking and improving their cognitive skills. Gamification
is also a way to apply another brain-based learning principle in that “the
search for meaning comes through “patterning”. Games are able to provide
students with a fail-safe environment in which to learn. If we look at
cognitive processes through the ideas of Benjamin Bloom and his taxonomy we can
see that games provide many of the elements he suggests are required for
learning. Such as creating, evaluating, analysing, applying, understanding and
remembering. Games such as the MineCraft
provide students the opportunity to enhance their learning through a variety of
activities they need to complete (Kim, 2012).
There is still a lot of debate surrounding
Brain-Based Learning but it is easy to see that the principles if properly
applied would be able to enhance the learning of students. If implemented along
with technology then this approach could provide valuable benefits to students.
Some styles like Whole Brain Learning have come under fire but I personally can
see the value in researching Brain-Based Learning more and taking more
opportunities to apply the principles in a classroom setting.
Brain-Based Learning Definition.
(2013, August 28). The Glossary of Education Reform</i>. Retrieved June
13, 2014, from http://edglossary.org/brain-based-learning/
Fink, R. (2006). Why Jane and John
Couldn't Read--And How They Learned. A New Look at Striving Readers. Newark,
DE: International Reading Association.
From Chalkboards to Tablets: The
Emergence of the K-12 Digital Learner.
(2013, June 1). Retrieved June 18, 2014, from http://www.tomorrow.org/speakup/pdfs/SU12-Students.pdf
Kim, P. (2012, January 1).
Designing a New Learning Environment. <i>Bloom's Taxonomy of Education
Technology Games and Simulations</i>. Retrieved June 18, 2014, from
https://novoed.com/education/blog_posts/14665?data_type=report
Oei AC, Patterson MD (2013)
Enhancing Cognition with Video Games: A Multiple Game Training Study. PLoS ONE
8(3): e58546. doi:10.1371/ journal.pone.0058546
Mod 3: Unit 1. Act. 1 Person of Student
I am currently working at Bucheon University in South Korea.
Bucheon University is a privately owned institution which has a variety of
programs ranging from technical diplomas to 4 years bachelor degrees. The ELL
program at Bucheon is essentially a mandatory elective that students have to
enroll in but the grades they obtain have little to no bearing on their overall
GPA. This can sometimes have negative affect on class participation as many
students have the knowledge that the course is not important to their grades.
Luckily, I get many opportunities to observe freshman
students at Bucheon University but I rarely get a chance to observe a coworkers
class and interview their students. The students that I observed range from 19
years to 21 years of age. Korea has a different way of determining age so these
ages translate to 18 to 20 years of age internationally. There were 14 males and 8 females. There were
a variety of students from different locations and backgrounds. Unfortunately,
we rarely have any international students that attend Bucheon University as it
is not a very well recognized institution in South Korea. Students Ell
abilities usually range from low beginner to low intermediate. Most of the
students can read English but have a lot of difficulty with writing and
speaking. This is quite common with students here in South Korea from my
experience.
The Persona of Bucheon University Students:
Age:
The average age of the students in my observed classroom was
19 years. It has been my experience that Korean university students are often
immature. Many cultural issues have led to this fact, such as Korean students
very rarely have taken on responsibilities outside of their school work and their
rigorous study schedules have led to poor socialization skills. It often feels
like I am teaching middle school or lower high school students.
Students have a common impression that university is a time
to relax and enjoy the experience. Most have just finished a gruelling
experience in high school to study for the CSAT
exams in high school. If you are not familiar with South Korea, these are
the equivalent of the SAT exams in the United States. However, the amount of
pressure put on students and the preparation they must endure for these exams
can be highly stressful. Korea has the highest suicide rate in the OCED. The
rate of suicide is almost triple
that of the entire OECD. According to
the National Youth Policy Institute, 1 in 4 Korean students contemplate
suicide. Once they have arrived at
Bucheon University, it is almost understandable that they feel that
participation is up to them and are not as motivated to learn.
Socio-Economic:
Money can be a weird topic in Korea. People can be quite
open about the amount of money they make and the appearance of wealth is very
important. It is very rare that students do not wear some sort of brand name
attire. Every student in the observed class owned a smartphone and also carried
a tablet with them. Korea ranks second in mobile phone penetration according to
ThinkInsights with Google. I have experienced situations where students are
treated quite differently if they are perceived as being in a lower
socio-economic class. The class system is quite prominent in South Korea and is
deep rooted in their culture.
It is quite uncommon for students at Bucheon University to
have a job. Although in the classes I observed there were several students who
worked part time. Out of the 22 students I surveyed, five had part time
jobs. From my experience, this number is
quite high. Most worked for their parents at their businesses or had part time
jobs at fast food restaurants. These jobs were mostly weekend positions and
unfortunately for the students were quite low paying. However, when I asked the
students what motivated them to learn, many listed getting a job and making
money has their highest motivation for studying. It very common that a Korean
student’s first job may be their last job, as employment mobility is not as
common here.
When I surveyed the class about the jobs their parents
performed, most of the students fathers were office workers of some sort and as
mentioned some owned small businesses. Most of the mothers were homeworkers and
only 4 of out the 22 surveyed had mothers who were in the workforce. These
women either worked at a small business or again were office workers.
Cultural Influences
The class I observed was homogenous in nature. All 22
students were Korean and none had any relatives who were from anywhere other
than South Korea. For teachers who teach ELL in South Korea, it can be
sometimes challenging to get students to participate in classroom discussions.
Korean students are used to lecture classes and are very hesitant to speak out
in class even when called upon. Students have been taught that mistakes are a
negative thing so they resist speaking out because they are afraid to look
foolish in front of their peers. I noticed in my own classes and in the
observed class that this aspect of is changing slowly in Korea. Most students
have had a native speaking teacher in their past and now have a better understanding
of how English teachers conduct their classes. As the class I observed was
quite familiar with their teacher, it was easier for him to get the students to
participate.
Student Interests and Talents
For the male students that I surveyed, one word can sum up
their interests: GAMES. Online gaming is amazingly popular in South Korea.
There are several entire television channels dedicated to just showing video
games. Students are obsessed with either PC games or smart phone games. When I
surveyed the class, 13 out of 14 males listed playing PC games as their hobby
and 3 of 8 females. The group had a few other interests, including listening to
music, watching television and watching movies. One thing that I observed and
have observed over the years in teaching at Bucheon University, students rarely
have any hobbies. Out of the 22 students surveyed, only 2 females played a
musical instrument and only 2 males played a sport on a regular basis. I have
noticed during past surveys that this trend is quite common. I can only
attribute this to a lack of time to participate in hobbies during their grade
school years which has translated to no hobbies in their college years.
Access to Technology
If there is one thing in South Korea that is not lacking it
is access to technology. Most schools aggressively integrate technology into
their programs. All the students in the classroom have and use their smart
phones for classroom activities, along with the use of tablets or laptop
computers. The classroom I observed has a personal PC and projector.
Unfortunately, the electronic blackboard has yet to catch on in most schools in
Korea and Bucheon University does not make this technology available to it
students and teachers. I asked the teacher what digital tools were utilized in
his classroom and he said primary the personal computer and projector were the
main tools he used. On occasion, he created lessons that involved the students
using their smart phones but because of their tendency to use the chat features
on the phone and waste time he usually avoided those activities. The teacher
said that he felt when he used technology in his class he usually got a much
better response from this students. He has recently begun using Prezi and finds
the dynamic presentations really catch his student’s attention. The teacher explained that he had no issues
with access to technology as all of the classrooms he uses have computers and
projectors available. Wi Fi is generally not an issue as Korea has an extensive
4G network.
Special Needs
There were no students with special needs in the class I
observed. Bucheon University only has a few students who have disabilities. However, like most students in the world,
Korean students can lose focus if they get bored. The teacher agreed that being
able to integrate technology more into his class improved the attention spans
of his students. When I surveyed the students and asked if the teacher asked
them regularly about their interests they all responded yes. The teacher often
surveyed his classroom about what they were interested in and used the
technology he had access to create lessons that reflected those interests. For
example, the lesson he conducts about food makes use of YouTube videos. He gets
the students to watch cooking show and then they write down the sequence of the
chef uses to prepare the food. Another
way the teacher was able to meet the needs of this student was by
differentiating his lessons. He told me he has prepared several different
lessons on the topics he has cover so he has the flexibility he needs to
properly adjust he teaching to meet his student’s needs.
Summary
In conclusion, the students in the classroom come from
average middle class Korean families. They all have similar interests and live
similar lifestyles. Students are concerned about their financial futures but
for now take a fairly relaxed approach
to their learning as they have all just finished probably the three hardest
years of their lives. Korean students are tech savvy and technology is
integrated into just about every facet of their lives. Students depend highly upon their smartphones
as a connection to their friends and family. Unlike, many North Americans,
email was not highly used amongst the group but rather chat applications like
Kakao talk was used as primary source of technological communication. They all
seem to be using their experiences at university as an opportunity to grow as
individuals and finally get some time to experience some youthful activities.
Sources
OECD Factbook 2013: Economic, Environmental and Social
Statistics. (2013, January 1). <i></i>. Retrieved June 18, 2014,
from
http://www.oecd-ilibrary.org/sites/factbook-2013-en/12/01/03/index.html?itemId=/content/chapter/factbook-2013-97-en
Our Mobile Planet. (n.d.). <i>Our Mobile
Planet</i>. Retrieved June 18, 2014, from
http://think.withgoogle.com/mobileplanet/en/graph/?country=au&country=ca&country=cn&country=in&country=jp&country=kr&country=nz&country=ae&country=uk&country=us&category=DETAILS&topic=Q00&stat=Q00_1&wave=2013&age=all&gender=all&chart_type=bar&active=country
Sistek, H. (2013, December 8). South Korean students wracked
with stress. <i>- Features</i>. Retrieved June 18, 2014, from
http://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/features/2013/12/south-korean-students-wracked-with-stress-201312884628494144.html
Teach Now: Module 2. Unit 4. Activity 2
Here is a link to the group project I completed on ELL Standards and Objectives.
http://mind42.com/public/7082f27f-6dd1-424f-bd48-36c0a8a82eb0
References:
http://www.ybmecc.co.kr/curriculum_program.asp
http://mind42.com/public/7082f27f-6dd1-424f-bd48-36c0a8a82eb0
References:
http://www.ybmecc.co.kr/curriculum_program.asp
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)