Wednesday, January 13, 2010

Cameron the Dedicated Techie

1. What is your most significant "takeaway" or learning point from the video? Why? Elaborate in detail.


Watching the video made me realize that while some kids have no interest in school, others really want to learn. As Cameron is sitting in the class watching the teacher talk about the video he made with the walking forward and backward, there is another kid behind him that looks bored out of his mind and half asleep. The teacher was using Cameron's video to show the lesson in a different way. This shows how kids learn in different ways. Some may have understood the way the teacher first explained the math situation, but Cameron didn't. He seems to learn in a different way , and he took it upon himself to try and find a way that made since to him to learn the information. Most kids would not be that dedicated. This shows me that as a teacher I will need to respect my students and find out in what ways they learn best. If I can help the child to better understand the material, then maybe they will not be lost and get frustrated and give up, but instead they will be like Cameron and want to learn so that they can feel accomplished.




2. How does this video / the ideas of this video relate or connect with your own experiences from your life. Elaborate.



I am not a techie. I have a facebook, myspace, and email account, and now due to this class a blog and a twitter, but I would not consider myself to know much about computers. Computers are very complex and I may know how to operate one to get me trough what I need to do, but I have no idea how they actually work. I understand other things like music and sports, but I do not understand computers. I have had people try to explain things to me that from time to time go over my head and I do not understand, but if they explain them in a new way I can usually grasp the concept just like Cameron understands computers and he can use them to aid his understanding of other issues like the math situation that was shown in the video.




3. What are some of the implications of this video / the ideas of this video for your own teaching practice and pedagogic creed as a educator?



Because I do not always understand what is presented to me in class, i understand that my students will also not always understand what I am presenting in my class. I want my kids to not only know what I am teaching, but also understand it. They can know that 2+2=4, but I want them to understand why. I am majoring in special education, and I am going to have to adapt my lessons plans to fit the students that I have in my classroom. Technology has come a long way, and i believe that technology is good to use within the classroom. Technology can expand a classroom so much further than what can be written on a blackboard. So why not use what we have so that our students can grasp concepts that were once very difficult to not only learn, but also to teach.

1 comment:

  1. Remember many of the things we'll talk about and do in class this semester are not "just" about technology, they are about literacy and communication. So although you don't consider yourself an "expert" on technology, you certainly have lots of skills in communication which apply even when we use technology.

    I'm glad to hear you recognizing that what is presented in class is not always understood by students! That is why it's so important to check for understanding, and really give students time to ask questions as well as listen to the answers. I hope I can model that this term. :-)

    ReplyDelete