For the brain fair, Chelsey, Erica, and I decided to research the effects of drugs on the brain. As we were researching, we realized there was so much information that we couldn't possibly include everything so we started to narrow it down. We decided to focus on four different drugs: Marijuana, Ecstasy, Cocaine, and Meth. (I learned how to spell ecstasy and realized I've been spelling it wrong my whole life. I had no idea there was no X in ecstasy). It was really interesting learning about the different effects on the brain.
As we were researching, I realized how important and helpful the internet is in doing research. We were able to quickly find information on how drugs effect the brain. We didn't have to spend hours reading through books and encyclopedias in the library to do our research. With technology and the internet we are able to get the most current information simply by typing in a few key words. We found a website where you can interact with cartoon mice that are on different types of drugs. You click on the mouse and it drops it into a machine where you can look at it's brain and see what exactly the drug is doing inside his brain. I found that learning this way is so much more interesting than just reading the information. I think that students would find learning about hard subjects in an interactive way more helpful to remember and understand the information. They are able to see the information, hear it, and interact with it, creating different pathways in the brain to remember the information.
Friday, March 12, 2010
Monday, March 8, 2010
Constructivism Case Study
1) Both lessons gave the students an opportunity to measure something and they both found a way to get the students interested in what it was they are measuring. One difference is that in the traditional lesson, the teacher simply gave them a yard stick and showed them how to measure. In the second lesson, she let them come up on their own with a way to measure and to figure out on their own why it's important to have standard measurements. Another difference is that the traditional lesson took a lot less time to complete.
2) The drawbacks are that it takes a lot more time to do it. Also, there is a lot more silence when the teacher would be tempted to jump in and help the students out. The benefits are that the students learn the information better. They have to come up with the answers on their own and they will remember the results longer and it will encourage them to think of answers to other problems on their own instead of just hoping someone will give them the answers if they don't know it.
I think that in a lot of ways the benefits are worth the cost, but if it takes away too much class time, they won't learn all the things they need to know for other subjects and topics. I think that for really important things or concepts that are difficult to understand and remember, that taking more time to come up with the answer is worth the extra time.
3) Critical thinking is "the process of systematically examining available information and coming up with conclusions that are based on evidence". The constructivist lesson promotes critical thinking because it allows time for the students to figure out the answers on their own, no matter how long it takes, without the teacher telling them the answer. They have to work together and come up with different theories of what might work, test them, and then evaluate what worked and didn't work and why. Examples of when the students used critical thinking are when the little boy realizes that the boat can't be 3 feet tall because he knows that he is 4 feet tall and the boat is way bigger than him and also when they realized that each time they counted they got a different answer and realized they needed to have a standard size and used the same boy to measure everything.
4) Yes, because it promotes problem solving that could be used outside of the classroom in the real world and not just on that particular assignment.
2) The drawbacks are that it takes a lot more time to do it. Also, there is a lot more silence when the teacher would be tempted to jump in and help the students out. The benefits are that the students learn the information better. They have to come up with the answers on their own and they will remember the results longer and it will encourage them to think of answers to other problems on their own instead of just hoping someone will give them the answers if they don't know it.
I think that in a lot of ways the benefits are worth the cost, but if it takes away too much class time, they won't learn all the things they need to know for other subjects and topics. I think that for really important things or concepts that are difficult to understand and remember, that taking more time to come up with the answer is worth the extra time.
3) Critical thinking is "the process of systematically examining available information and coming up with conclusions that are based on evidence". The constructivist lesson promotes critical thinking because it allows time for the students to figure out the answers on their own, no matter how long it takes, without the teacher telling them the answer. They have to work together and come up with different theories of what might work, test them, and then evaluate what worked and didn't work and why. Examples of when the students used critical thinking are when the little boy realizes that the boat can't be 3 feet tall because he knows that he is 4 feet tall and the boat is way bigger than him and also when they realized that each time they counted they got a different answer and realized they needed to have a standard size and used the same boy to measure everything.
4) Yes, because it promotes problem solving that could be used outside of the classroom in the real world and not just on that particular assignment.
Monday, March 1, 2010
Brain Project Proposal
Erica and I will be working together on the brain project to show the effects of different drugs on the brain.
Cognitive Psychology Case Study
Case 1
1) The students will remember the activities because they participated in them physically and weren't just told about them from a a test book or movie. They actually got to experience some of things and they'll remember it because of that. Students that only read about it a text book won't remember it as long because they aren't engaged in the learning process. It doesn't apply to them so they won't care as much. Hearing facts about something doesn't engage our emotions as much as actually experiencing something.
2)It engages the emotions because they are actually participating and getting a glimpse of how it would really be to be a civil war soldier. They actually have to participate, for example, setting up camp, marching, etc.
3) Show pictures from the civil war and have them analyze them.
Case 2
4) I think Mr. Richards does a better job because he uses a variety of activities to help the kids learn through all the senses and not just reading and answering questions. He uses variety so that all different learning styles are able to learn. He also uses different testing strategies so those who don't do well one one type, also have the opportunity to do well on the test. On the other hand, I think he should tell the students ahead of time what they will be learning that day so that their brain can be better prepared to learn that information.
5) I think that those who learn well through reading and answering essay questions would do well in Mr. Duncans class but overall, I think most students would do better in Mr. Richards class where they are able to apply auditory, visual, movement, etc. into the learning process.
1) The students will remember the activities because they participated in them physically and weren't just told about them from a a test book or movie. They actually got to experience some of things and they'll remember it because of that. Students that only read about it a text book won't remember it as long because they aren't engaged in the learning process. It doesn't apply to them so they won't care as much. Hearing facts about something doesn't engage our emotions as much as actually experiencing something.
2)It engages the emotions because they are actually participating and getting a glimpse of how it would really be to be a civil war soldier. They actually have to participate, for example, setting up camp, marching, etc.
3) Show pictures from the civil war and have them analyze them.
Case 2
4) I think Mr. Richards does a better job because he uses a variety of activities to help the kids learn through all the senses and not just reading and answering questions. He uses variety so that all different learning styles are able to learn. He also uses different testing strategies so those who don't do well one one type, also have the opportunity to do well on the test. On the other hand, I think he should tell the students ahead of time what they will be learning that day so that their brain can be better prepared to learn that information.
5) I think that those who learn well through reading and answering essay questions would do well in Mr. Duncans class but overall, I think most students would do better in Mr. Richards class where they are able to apply auditory, visual, movement, etc. into the learning process.
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