Question Four

Apart from givuing a reflection on these theorists that we have studied throughout this semester I feel that the ways they discuss how we learn is helpful in clarifying how I learn as a person as well. i think this is important as I feel that people who stand up inthe front of a group of students are invested with the responsibility of knowing not only how others learn but how they themselves learn.When I first met the theories of Vgotsky I thought,Now, here is a chap with the most amazing mind!, allot of what he has written at first has seemed just so confusing, but when I slowly got the hang of the language he uses and what he meant, I can see he really had a great perception of how the learners minds work. I found a web site that helped me see some implementation of the tools that Vygotsky proposed for educators to use. Following the links from this web address I was able to see some real ways of using his theories, which gives me something concrete to grasp hold of in a mental picture for myself to start understanding.
The way Vygotsky talks about us learning from the outside, from the social context that we are in as children, the environment around us. His theory of The Zone of Proximal Development,gives the individual the tools to step up to the next level of learning and understanding, using external help. The way our cognition grows and matures is not independent of our social environment but because of it.My own experience of how I have had to learn this unit is a combination of Piaget and Vygotsky's theories and just the process of reflecting on this has been profound for me. Now this has rather profound implications for how we as educators teach in this country and all over the world, we funnel these little ones into a class room and try to teach them. The use of scaffolding or mediation ( when an educator or peer ) assists with the solving of problems by tips, hints or demonstrations. These learning tools must be relevant to the individual, they have to be able to make sense of them, using their cognition of the social context they are in. I think their peer group is a very strong way for them to grasp this learning. Setting tasks and giving the students time to work in groups can be one of the ways to aid this learning process.What I have written regarding the classroom is applicable to myself as in this instance I am the student and this is what I have been experiencing during this unit.
Jean Piaget emphasises the learners interaction with their physical environment, his general theoretical framework is called "Genetic Epistemology" because of his primary interest in how knowledge developed in the human organism.
understanding and how they are computing the information. Giving us all these different stages and periods in a child's life, and how they all pass the same sequence of stages of cognitive development at similar ages and personal meanings which they can construct from experience depending on their current stage, is a platform for me see where they are at. It gives me a basis, a structure of criteria that will help me understand each student so that I can manage the individuals in my class to the best advantage for all of them.But it has also helped me to understand that the students knowledge is completely different to mine and together we need to establish what their knowledge is and create learning from that level up, this helps with students that might have learning difficulties and other issues so that you can accomodate for them in the lessons you create.
Then you can tie in the other theorists and use techniques from all of them to help all your students, so students then have the ability given to them to all learn a topic or whatever it is that you are showing them, but learn it in relation to their own schema of their world. So this gives every child in the class a possibility to achieve good learning outcomes whether they are very bright and quick or they have learning disabilities.
I am sure that you will think I'm mad but I find Glassers approach talks to me on a very profound level. The psychological contexts of what he is talking about as fundamental human needs resonate with my own fundamental belief of my spiritual life. I cannot approach teaching without a deeply rooted belief in Christs message of developing and using our talents in every way we possibly can. I often reach the point of tears when I read Glassers work because it rings so true with my own experiences. He gives a ideal of what we can aim at, in quality teaching, teachers do not need to scold or punish or coerce. Instead they befriend students, provide encouragement and stimulation and show unending willingness to help, but they are also consistent and fair."By understanding the drives for SURVIVAL, POWER, LOVE, BELONGING, FREEDOM, and FUN in people, we become more conscious of the need for our world to be a quality world of our choosing". Students not only need to know their rights but they also need to be very aware of the rights of those around them, in other words, their responsibilities to themselves and those around them. We can use Glasser to help us understand fundamental psychology that motivates a students actions that help them to make better choices. By understanding this proccess that Glasser has devised, we can learn so much about ourselves and our choices and in turn guide and help our students.When we reflect that glassers work is fundamental to the functioning of the human being, and wwe use it as a underlying concept to our creating programs and lessons we are helping students to achieve these fundamental experiences and this will in time strengthen their ability to learn.
Gardner has givern a frame work that lets me create exciting classes for alll the learning stlyes that students are blessed with and though I have read that gardner is still working on more learning frames we can accomodate for most students
Now! I realize that we all have these wonderful intelligences, some are stronger than others and of course these will all develope differently depending on, Physiological factors, psychological factors and enviromental factors. This is an enlightening piece to read because we are not discussing what has already been well reasearched and documented, but what is also an ongoing development of other (as yet not completely defined) intelligences. The very fact that Howard Gardner still searchs for clearer ways to help us understand the way the mind works is an encouragment for the questions that still need to be answered.
I am glad there are people like Howard Gardner who have this much higher intelligence that mine to ask these questions and seek the answers, because people like me can then have a chance to understand our own processes of learning, and then we have the ideas of how we should help the students in our classes learn through a variety of ways. They can then present information they have learnt in a way mostsatisfyinh to themselves, or learn through variety of different styles aimed at each of the different intelligence groups.
Another important aspect of these Intelligences is that it gives educators a great basis for creating great projects for the students to get involved with at school. I see this with my own children when they have a teacher who does utilise the multiple intelligences into the structure of how the children present their research and findings, my own kids embrace the project and get excited about what they are learning and how they can show what they have learnt.

Question One

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Whats an Interesting Blog?
Well firstly I would say the look of the blog is important, and does it capture your attention.
Are there graphics that are interesting.
Sound that is interesting ,
Colour and movement,
Does it peak you curiosity, do you want to look at the links to other sites, and is it relevant to what you are looking for

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Question Three

Coming from the position of someone who has had a very minimal experience with technology this has in many ways been a learning curve of space shuttle proportions for me . The furthrer I have got into the experience of having to use these technologies the more I seeet the creative value in the instrumentation within the classroom environment. If what Siemens is saying is true that students learn in a new way to the past, then we must engage in how we educate them so instead of them powering down when they come to school they are excited to be there and have fullfilling challenges set for them by their teachers. to do this though schools must engage in supplying proffessional development for their staff and sufficient planning time to occur so that teachers are reaching their full potential as well.