Week 2

Mr. Deuy Fractions:  This movie clip about fractions was very entertaining.  When I teach I want to  try and find movies like this so that my students have a fun way to remember the rules about mathematics and other subjects.  When I was in elementary school we watched a couple episodes of school house rock to teach us about grammar.  I find myself still reciting the songs in my head when I need to recall certain rules.  I liked how the producer of this movie wrote it like a rap because raps have a rhythm that is really easy to remember and the words generally stick in your head.  I think that this movie would be very beneficial because it would involve everyone in the class whether boy or girl and whether they excel in math or not.  The visual information is just as important as the audio portion.  While the students hear the information they can also see what is being done so they know how to do it on paper and apply the things they have learned.  This movie is a fresh new way to present information.  It provides students with valuable information and encourages a positive experience with math.  

Technology is booming around the world so inevitably it is being incorporated into the school systems.  Kids love technology, they love playing computer games, nintendo, surfing the internet etc.  By using computers in the classroom students can learn while doing something they love.  I think that social networking is a great way for teachers and parents to keep in contact.  When I teach a class of my own I want to have a class website that parents can go online everyday see what we did, what homework is due, tests and field trips coming up, if we need volunteers etc.  I believe that the best way for a busy parent to get in contact with a teacher is simply through email because it is a fast easy way to get in contact and is very convenient.  I think that blogging is a great idea for me to keep in contact with my colleagues.  I think that every school should have a blog then all the teachers could post about successful lesson ideas, questions, problems, then they would be able to comment, collaborate and help each other.   It would then be really easy to tag and give information that would be helpful in preparing different lessons or solving different problems.  Some of the cons about using different social networking tools is it discourages face to face interaction.  Instead of actually calling a parent up to tell them that their child isn't doing well it is super easy to just send them an email. This might not be the most effective form of communication in this circumstance.  I think that social networking tools can be very beneficial to the classroom and the education system as a whole when used in the right place and in the right circumstances.