Investigations Math (Extra Credit)

Investigations Math is a different approach to teaching math.
It is a process where students figure out how they get to an answer, relating it to things they have learned instead of regurgitating the answers by memorization.

Against:
This does not helps students to spit out the answer 2X2 it does not give students the facts of math it makes them go through a huge process to thinking about 2X2, causing a delayed reaction.

For:
One result to Investigations Math is one of the core reasons charter schools started. Public schools felt like it was a waste of time and not effective. This causes parents to send their children to a charter school so they could learn the process of thinking through things. This is a good thing to teach because it gets students thinking about how to solve problems. It also helps them in everyday life to think things through and be able to solve a bunch of different problems not just math problems.

Research (Extra Credit)

Joseph LeDoux's research is on Emotional memory.
The article I read about Joseph was:
http://www.cns.nyu.edu/corefaculty/LeDoux.php

Joseph talks about how he wanted to find out how the human brain stores information about danger. he did this experiment on lab rats and found that the way rats stored this info was the same way the Human brain did.
Now Joseph has these questions about the brain that he wants to study.
How does the brain regulate fear, as in extinction or other processes? Are other emotions mediated by similar or different circuits? What are the mechanisms through which conscious emotional feelings, as opposed to behavioral or autonomic responses, come about?

So What?
I think it is really cool that they can take a question, a rat and figure out what goes on in the human brain. Because of this information we can use this as a stepping stone to learn more about the human brain then we have before.

Now What?
Like I said above the more information Joseph receives and experiences with rats the more he can come to understand and know whats happening in the human brain. This could also help with those cases of people who see things they fear. We could teach their minds to focus on something different and help them not to see those pictures of things they fear.

Learning Log Ch 7

Today in class we learned about Constructivism.

Conceptual Change: ( How to go about it)
*Identify existing misconceptions before instruction begins
*Convince students that their existing beliefs are inadequate.
*Motivate students to learn correct explanation
*Maintain Self-esteem
*Monitor what students say and write for persistent misconceptions

Jerome Bruner said that Knowing is a process not a product and that we need to get students to think mathematically for themselves. He wrote a book in 1960 about the following
*Structure-school needs to have a structure/schema
*Reading- Spiral curriculum always going up
*Intuition- needs to be put back in schools
*Motivation- must keep it broad and diver

Discover Learning- Learners draws on his or her own past experience and existing knowledge to discover facts and relationships and new truths to be learned.

The 5 E's
*Engage- Get interest
*Explore- Student-centered
*Explain- Work together to analyze
*Elaborate- Student-centered deeper
*Evaluate- Check understanding (self)

What are the potential benefits of discover learning?
The benefits of discover learning will helps students remember more things taught in class because they use their prior experiences and knowledge to relate to what is being taught. When students relate what is being taught in class to what they know or understand it helps them form questions and become more interested in the subject being taught.


What are potential problems?
Some problems that this could cause would be, student may become confused because that they experienced or what they were taught is now questioned, Some students will tune you out because they think something different and do not want to listen to the subjects side. May cause contention between students or a debate within the class.

Learning Log Chapter 6

Today we learned about the Brian and Memory:)

Input-- Sensory Register -- Working Memory(Short-term) -- Long-term Memory

Long-term Memory
1. Declarative/Semantic- factual knowledge
2. Procedural- what we can do, drive car
3. Episodic- pictures

Encoding
* Rehearsal
* Meaningful Learning (analogies)
* Organization (Chunking)
* Elaborating (Take info one step farther)
* Visual Imagery
* Mnemonics (Songs, ex)
* Group discussion and Projects
* Authentic activities

Study Skills
* Take notes
* Organizing
* Summarizing
* Identify important info
* Elaborating
* Retrieving Prior Knowledge

So What?
As a teacher this helps me know what I can do to help my students place info into their long term memory, I can help them rememebr things longer then just for the test. With all the different ways of encoding it can help me try different ways in the classroom and see what one works better for each class.

Now What?
I am creating a folder with ideas and helpful info that will help me as a teacher. I need to write out each way to help students process info and place it into long term memeory and also help them learn ways to study and do things in class that will catch their attention and want to learn.

Learning Log

In class last time we learned about Emotional Intelligence and how our lives are made up of rational emotions.
Factors of Emotional Intelligence include:
Knowing one's emotions
Managing
Motivating
Recognizing
Handling

Next we learned about Erikson's Psychosocial Crises
Trust VS. Mistrust (Infancy)
Atonomy VS. Doubt and Shame (Toddlers)
Initative VS. Guilt (Preschool)
Industry VS. Inferiority (Elementary)
Identity VS. Role Confusion (Adolecence)
Intimacy VS. Isolation (Young Adult)
Generativity VS. Stagnation (Middle Age)
Integrity VS. Despair (Retirement)

One thing that you have to remember with these stages is that the ages are way off, even someone that is in their middle age could have problems with identity and role confusion. It depends on each person.

So What?
It is good for me to know these different stages and understand the positive effects and negative effect of each because as a P.E. teacher I will be teaching students K-12. Knowing the different meanings of the stages will help me become a better teacher to my students and help them one a one on one bases.


Now What?
Now I need to print out a page with all of Erikson's Psychosocial Crises with the effects of each stage and combined it into a folder with the rest of the materials I will be saving for my teaching experiences. This way I can easily access it when ever I need it.