I hope you having an incredible morning! Oh, I am just full of motivation this morning! =-D. Not really. I am actually using emotional dissemblance to portray what an excessively motivated person would sound like so early in the morning. I better get used to doing that. As a teacher, you've got to fake it some days. Today is the day that school starts back in session, so I was suddenly awoken at 5:30 am by the substitute office call system. I had just read an article yesterday about motivation, and it was very interesting, so I decided I would be motivated enough to leave my bed, come on here, and share with you before the thoughts left my head. By the way, the funky spelling of motivation in the title comes from an old cartoon favorite, Norbert from Angry Beavers. When ever he had a word that ended in -tion he would say it in a fancy cool way, because he was a cool cat.
So, to begin with, the article was an education article that they were passing out at a future teacher resource center on campus. I had some time between classes so I sat down to read it. There were two things that it said that where really profound truths, almost stinging, that need to be passed on in order to promote good teaching. 1) No matter what they believe, no teacher can truly provide motivation externally. Motivation has to come from within the student, and that student needs to decide for his or herself what will motivate them and under what circumstances. 2) Some teachers strive to improve 'motivation' in the classroom, when what they're really aiming for is COMPLIANCE. Wow!! Those are two traps that I never want to fall into. I have already experienced some students that are very hard to motivate, especially in the 5th and 6th grade levels. You can't get angry with them. You don't really want to leave them behind and not teach them anything, but what do you do if they are not willing to learn? Possibly this will be a two part blog. First let's start with what not to do.
I completely agree with the author with point number 1, on the fact that motivation has to be internal. It has to come from inside the student. You can wave the carrot all you want, we all have our indignant moments, where no matter what, no one can get us to budge out of our poor habits. For me, it's working out. I am the flabbiest, out of shape, unhealthy positive role model. If I could change one thing about myself, it would be that. I have no motivation what-so-ever to lose weight. Despite having the desire, finding the motivation is something completely separate. I've set personal goals. I've competed in challenges. I've given myself rewards for good behavior. I've used the accountability method. They're all good motivators for the moment, but the success is short lived and I inevitably return to my unhealthy habits.
My father on the other hand has Type 2 Diabetes, and after working himself fully into an unhealthy state and even then not having the self control to beat back Diabetes to the point where he's now on insulin, he has finally, within the last 3 years, found the motivation within himself to lose the weight. He's slimmed all over his body by walking ritualistically and has even lost stomach fat, which is so hard to lose. He's healthier than he's been in the last decade or so. Case in point being, although it's tough, sometimes you're wasting time and energy fretting over a child, in your classroom, or in your life, who has little to no motivation to learn. Sometimes it has to get to sink or swim in order to get them to find that blast of motivation. Let them decide when the timing is right. You can give them the tools, but they have to decide when to use them.
As for point number 2, motivation versus compliance, I have to agree, I have seen it in the classrooms and it is a very negative thing. Motivation does need encouragement, that is true. Two venues I see that are really good at true motivation are churches and pre-schools. Both places adopt the philosophy that when you enter the classroom, you genuinely want to learn, and what you learn will help you and make you better, stronger, and smarter. Both places rely heavily on modeling. There is always a caring and sympathetic leader who can say, I only expect your best, don't try to over-extend yourself or live up to a standard. Be who you are. Both places rely heavily on creating a welcoming atmosphere. The best churches and the best pre-schools go out of the way to welcome the student and make sure that the student is instantly initiated into the community. One final thing that I see is that both churches and pre-schools rely on task assignment. Those who have been with the program longer and feel that they have something to offer can be assigned a special role in which they can contribute back into the learning experience. That is true motivation.
Compliance, makes me cringe. Compliance has no place in the classroom. Compliance is that negative, overbearing force that we've probably all felt on the job somewhere. Compliance is a force that is over your control. It's like a magnetic pull that says YOU ARE POWERLESS TO RESIST. It's a power trip, basically. You are not giving the child a choice to participate. You will ultimately fail. No one likes that pressure. Not only that, but if you succeed in asserting your will over the student, what have you accomplished? You have taken away their will and their ambition. They didn't do it of their own accord, they did it because you made them. So think before you become a tyrant in the classroom. These are children not servants, and we are caregivers not overlords. Dial it down a notch. That's the difference between being authoritarian and authoritative.
I am definitely stopping here. Congrats if you made it this far. I am hoping someone out there can be a witness( as in you agree)!! I know I did some preaching just now, but honestly, these are some truths that need to be heard by a lot of American teachers. I hope these words do not fall on deaf ears. We should all try our hardest to be as engaging as possible with our students and know how to motivate them correctly. Since this is a two parter I will give the name of the article and how to get it with the next post. It's now time for me to get my own little one off to school. =-D
Tuesday, March 31, 2015
Sunday, March 29, 2015
The 6 BIG reasons I love Big Hero 6 ( as a future educator )
I was inspired to write this post today after seeing how much my family truly enjoyed watching Big Hero 6 as a group just a few hours ago as part of our Spring Break bonding time. I'm usually the sappy sort and I am a big kid at heart, so it came as no surprise to me that I enjoyed the movie for my sake, and this was also not my first time seeing the movie. For my boyfriend and his younger brother, this was the first time they had ever seen the movie. We have a large family that's always active so getting out to the movies all together sometimes doesn't happen, but we were all very excited to see it. As the movie played not a word was spoken and you could sense the emotion in the air. Both boys loved it, and everyone agreed that they got choked up at the end of the movie. More than that, everyone had a hero that they could relate to and put themselves in the shoes of that character. Aside from the emotional quality of the film, I see so much worth in the story in the form of educational benefit. These little sponges (children) that sit down to watch the movie are informing themselves on several topics related to science and personal relations. So I have decided to list 6 reasons that I would love to see Big Hero 6 shown in classrooms and at the very least inside the homes of the students of my future school.
1) Big Hero 6 promotes creativity and lifelong dreams of producing the next big advancement that society sees, whether it be in robotics or not. I have seen children in the schools be so inspired by Baymax himself. One day, in an art class that I substituted for, we were working with clay and one of the students sculpted him out of the modeling clay pretty accurately. I encouraged him to pursue the arts at least on an academic level because perhaps claymation won't be phased out completely by computer animation and he will be able to use his clay work in a motion picture. For another child, the tool might be robotics and from fiction can come reality. From space travel to cell phones, it all started as a dream. We might have our own Baymax in the future. It's not too far fetched with these wild dreamers that we have.
2) It promote interpersonal connections. It teaches children that they need friends. Even before they became the team that they were in the end of the movie, the 5 friends simply bonded over a shared love of science. There are many opportunities for children to find shared interests and potentially learn how to work collaboratively or to just form friendships with classmates. When huge events happen in our lives, particularly sad ones, it is incredibly beneficial to have a support network. If children learn that early on and do not leave themselves in a vulnerable position by isolating themselves from peers, there might not be so many cases of depression or anxiety in the teen years. In my Developmental Psychology class we're focusing on coping strategies this week. It is so sad to hear how many teenage girls in particular suffer from depression which could be avoided altogether or at least managed by developing the right coping skills. Like Baymax says, we all need physical reassurance from time to time. We all need to talk it out. That's what friends are for.
3) The movie is so rich in knowledge of bodily science. It delves into topics such as neuroscience, blood type, nutrition (in the credits), safety procedures, and properties of energy. If you can capture the attention of children and blow the door wide open on a whole new world of information that they might not have even thought would interest them before, you can develop a love of learning in them. They can learn, not just because you tell them that they have to, but because they want to. If we want our children to possess the same desire to learn as the children from competing nations, we have to plant that seed.
4) The level of morality that this movie shows is off the charts. Disney is known for it's morality, but they really put it all out there on this one. Hiro does not have the highest moral fiber in the beginning, cheating and lying, sneaking around, and overall just having no values. It's clearly because of a lack of structure. The only two parental figures in his life are too young to have it all figured out and too busy with their own lives to ensure that he's being productive in his, but to become the hero that he needs to be, he needs to grow up, put his talents to use, and stop thinking so selfishly. The team helps him with his his aggression issues and with any luck in a future sequel he will mature further and become the leader he is so ill-equipped to be at age 14ish, despite his overly large intellect. I will impress you now and mention that he is probably a good example of Gardner's theory of multiple intelligence. He might be 'gifted' in his understanding of science, but that in no way gives him superior moral reasoning.
5) It is a safe and welcome exposure to loss and grief. Let's be real for a moment. Sadly, children even as young as 5 or 6, and I know this from experience, can suffer loss and feel grief in a deep way. Some of the very children who watched the movie opening day might have been dealing with a sadness of a loved one's passing that just wouldn't go away. They probably instantly related to Hiro and felt his pain as he experienced loss, but then possibly got a small amount of closure with the movie coming to an end. We all felt for Hiro. We've all felt that pain, but in time there is a hope of closure. The movie is a very good portrayal of grief and positive ways to cope with it and negative ways to cope with it.
6) In a nut shell, Big Hero 6 is a great family movie. Any activity or movie that brings the family unit together and promotes bonding is something very worthwhile in my opinion. I am a fan of extra credit and I feel that it is something I will utilize a lot in my teaching. I would make it an extra credit assignment to go home and watch Big Hero 6 with the family. Why not...families are too busy for each other these days and most would gladly take the opportunity to carve out some family time and watch a family movie with their loved ones.
If you, or someone you know, has not seen the movie, don't waste another second. Rent, download, or stream Big Hero 6 today. =-D
1) Big Hero 6 promotes creativity and lifelong dreams of producing the next big advancement that society sees, whether it be in robotics or not. I have seen children in the schools be so inspired by Baymax himself. One day, in an art class that I substituted for, we were working with clay and one of the students sculpted him out of the modeling clay pretty accurately. I encouraged him to pursue the arts at least on an academic level because perhaps claymation won't be phased out completely by computer animation and he will be able to use his clay work in a motion picture. For another child, the tool might be robotics and from fiction can come reality. From space travel to cell phones, it all started as a dream. We might have our own Baymax in the future. It's not too far fetched with these wild dreamers that we have.
2) It promote interpersonal connections. It teaches children that they need friends. Even before they became the team that they were in the end of the movie, the 5 friends simply bonded over a shared love of science. There are many opportunities for children to find shared interests and potentially learn how to work collaboratively or to just form friendships with classmates. When huge events happen in our lives, particularly sad ones, it is incredibly beneficial to have a support network. If children learn that early on and do not leave themselves in a vulnerable position by isolating themselves from peers, there might not be so many cases of depression or anxiety in the teen years. In my Developmental Psychology class we're focusing on coping strategies this week. It is so sad to hear how many teenage girls in particular suffer from depression which could be avoided altogether or at least managed by developing the right coping skills. Like Baymax says, we all need physical reassurance from time to time. We all need to talk it out. That's what friends are for.
3) The movie is so rich in knowledge of bodily science. It delves into topics such as neuroscience, blood type, nutrition (in the credits), safety procedures, and properties of energy. If you can capture the attention of children and blow the door wide open on a whole new world of information that they might not have even thought would interest them before, you can develop a love of learning in them. They can learn, not just because you tell them that they have to, but because they want to. If we want our children to possess the same desire to learn as the children from competing nations, we have to plant that seed.
4) The level of morality that this movie shows is off the charts. Disney is known for it's morality, but they really put it all out there on this one. Hiro does not have the highest moral fiber in the beginning, cheating and lying, sneaking around, and overall just having no values. It's clearly because of a lack of structure. The only two parental figures in his life are too young to have it all figured out and too busy with their own lives to ensure that he's being productive in his, but to become the hero that he needs to be, he needs to grow up, put his talents to use, and stop thinking so selfishly. The team helps him with his his aggression issues and with any luck in a future sequel he will mature further and become the leader he is so ill-equipped to be at age 14ish, despite his overly large intellect. I will impress you now and mention that he is probably a good example of Gardner's theory of multiple intelligence. He might be 'gifted' in his understanding of science, but that in no way gives him superior moral reasoning.
5) It is a safe and welcome exposure to loss and grief. Let's be real for a moment. Sadly, children even as young as 5 or 6, and I know this from experience, can suffer loss and feel grief in a deep way. Some of the very children who watched the movie opening day might have been dealing with a sadness of a loved one's passing that just wouldn't go away. They probably instantly related to Hiro and felt his pain as he experienced loss, but then possibly got a small amount of closure with the movie coming to an end. We all felt for Hiro. We've all felt that pain, but in time there is a hope of closure. The movie is a very good portrayal of grief and positive ways to cope with it and negative ways to cope with it.
6) In a nut shell, Big Hero 6 is a great family movie. Any activity or movie that brings the family unit together and promotes bonding is something very worthwhile in my opinion. I am a fan of extra credit and I feel that it is something I will utilize a lot in my teaching. I would make it an extra credit assignment to go home and watch Big Hero 6 with the family. Why not...families are too busy for each other these days and most would gladly take the opportunity to carve out some family time and watch a family movie with their loved ones.
If you, or someone you know, has not seen the movie, don't waste another second. Rent, download, or stream Big Hero 6 today. =-D
Friday, March 27, 2015
Stay TOONED
As the title infers, today's blog will be a childish romp through the world of cartoon comics, or funnies, as they used to call them as I was growing up. Reading the Sunday comics every weekend as we ate a late morning breakfast was a time honored childhood tradition in my family, and one that I would love to share with my own children someday as an early form of literacy, should the opportunity still be present even 5 years from now. Unfortunately with newspapers, in general, becoming obsolete...comics have similarly fallen out of fashion. I have a dear personal friend, who, just a decade and a half ago, was dreaming of a career in illustration. He is a Charles Schulz enthusiast who believes in the value of the hard work that was put into the 'classics' of the comic age. The Peanuts are headed for a re-vamp with a new CGI movie, and thank goodness the holiday specials have not slipped in ratings, but the comic strip doesn't seem to be bridging the gap into the new millennium, at least in my experience. Well, enter a NEW HOPE, Toondoo.com.
Toondoo is a do-it-yourself comic creator with easy controls and clip art graphics that you can 'flip', re-size, and otherwise personalize and combine to make your own simple strip. I experimented with this program tonight and I had a blast. This is definitely something I would use in the beginning of the school year as an ice breaker. I would show the students some home made comics that portray children's riddles and have a good laugh to get started on the right foot. Later on in the year the children could use the program to create their own simple comics. The children will be proud to show off their work and it will promote literacy throughout the classroom as we read the comics together. I am so happy that this website exists. Laughing is such a positive and healthy thing. It sheds calories, boosts moods, and creates bonds between individuals. Also, I've watched children read many times, and I have observed that children are most motivated to read when there are laughs in store. I've seen children move through a full length book that was rip-roaringly hilarious and turn and around and read it again because they truly enjoyed it and it kept their attention. I feel that the same can be attained through this program.
So if you have any young minds in your life that you feel are in need of some 'traditional literary education', CARTOONS!!! =-D, sign up for a free account with Toondoo and discover the illustrator in you. Here is a strip that I created.
Toondoo is a do-it-yourself comic creator with easy controls and clip art graphics that you can 'flip', re-size, and otherwise personalize and combine to make your own simple strip. I experimented with this program tonight and I had a blast. This is definitely something I would use in the beginning of the school year as an ice breaker. I would show the students some home made comics that portray children's riddles and have a good laugh to get started on the right foot. Later on in the year the children could use the program to create their own simple comics. The children will be proud to show off their work and it will promote literacy throughout the classroom as we read the comics together. I am so happy that this website exists. Laughing is such a positive and healthy thing. It sheds calories, boosts moods, and creates bonds between individuals. Also, I've watched children read many times, and I have observed that children are most motivated to read when there are laughs in store. I've seen children move through a full length book that was rip-roaringly hilarious and turn and around and read it again because they truly enjoyed it and it kept their attention. I feel that the same can be attained through this program.
So if you have any young minds in your life that you feel are in need of some 'traditional literary education', CARTOONS!!! =-D, sign up for a free account with Toondoo and discover the illustrator in you. Here is a strip that I created.
Thursday, March 26, 2015
Say Hello To My Little Friend ( Simon the Dog )
I am on a roll this day of Thursday March 26th, 2015. I am on to my second project of the evening for my potentially uber successful start up blog, investing while I have the time. I am Supergirling it up with 5 classes this semester, 20 hours per week of work normally, and helping to raise a 7 year old. Quite a lot on my plate. I will survive. The reason for this entry in particular is that my Technology professor has introduced us to such an incredibly cute website that is very user friendly, and, as part of our grade has insisted that we each take a turn at making one of our own, so it is time for me to introduce, Simon, my strangely large, strangely Brittish, Alaskan Malamute puppy, who, even stranger still, has an incredible vocabulary and is wise beyond his years (even in dog years).
http://www.voki.com/pickup.php?scid=11216967&height=267&width=200
I created him in the company of my little cutie pie Zhane. He is the 7 year old I help to raise. This program is kid tested and approved. He had so much fun helping me to create Simon and he says the only thing he wishes they would change about the site was that he wants the dogs to be able to have costumes. He enjoyed playing with the voice controls and making the lips smaller and bigger. He changed the color of the hair several times. The excitement was definitely there. Zhane is very creative and spends hours working on Mine Craft and Mii Maker on his Nintendo DS so he is familiar with avatar making. When he heard that this was part of my homework, he couldn't wait to help.
In my own reflections on the activity, I would say, it is a fun little novelty. It does have practical application in the classroom as sort of a digital stamp of sorts. It comes equipped with a permalink and the children can use it on any website or activity that they are working with as their personal image. Since it is so easily accessible, I feel I would send it home with them as an easy homework or extra credit assignment. I don't feel it's something I would invest classroom time in, but I feel it would sweeten the pot for the students if I told them that after they finish an assignment, instead of signing their name, they could stamp it with their own avatar just to change it up. I could be a CoolCatTeacher too. =-D.
By the way, if you would like to create your own little avatar, or heck, your own little brood of avatars, FREE is the buzzword. Just browse Voki.com and set up a complimentary account. Have at it. Do it now.
http://www.voki.com/pickup.php?scid=11216967&height=267&width=200
I created him in the company of my little cutie pie Zhane. He is the 7 year old I help to raise. This program is kid tested and approved. He had so much fun helping me to create Simon and he says the only thing he wishes they would change about the site was that he wants the dogs to be able to have costumes. He enjoyed playing with the voice controls and making the lips smaller and bigger. He changed the color of the hair several times. The excitement was definitely there. Zhane is very creative and spends hours working on Mine Craft and Mii Maker on his Nintendo DS so he is familiar with avatar making. When he heard that this was part of my homework, he couldn't wait to help.
In my own reflections on the activity, I would say, it is a fun little novelty. It does have practical application in the classroom as sort of a digital stamp of sorts. It comes equipped with a permalink and the children can use it on any website or activity that they are working with as their personal image. Since it is so easily accessible, I feel I would send it home with them as an easy homework or extra credit assignment. I don't feel it's something I would invest classroom time in, but I feel it would sweeten the pot for the students if I told them that after they finish an assignment, instead of signing their name, they could stamp it with their own avatar just to change it up. I could be a CoolCatTeacher too. =-D.
By the way, if you would like to create your own little avatar, or heck, your own little brood of avatars, FREE is the buzzword. Just browse Voki.com and set up a complimentary account. Have at it. Do it now.
A Blogger's favorite Blogger
It's been all semester in the making, but at long last, my first blog post is up and running due to some personal time I have taken this week in honor of Osceola County, FL's Spring Break. What a fun little project to keep me occupied. I am an Elementary Education student at the University of Central Florida and it has been suggested to me and to my fellow students that we endeavor to develop a voice in digital media beginning immediately. It is important for us to exercise our technological fluency and become immersed in the culture to make ourselves more marketable in our future careers. So, are you interested in what I have to say? How about we start with whose blog I read. I checked out quite a few when looking for a model to follow, however, Vicki Davis, aka the Cool Cat Teacher, is the full package in my opinion. When looking for inspiration on layout and style components, as well as when looking for hot button issues, I will turn to her first. What do I like about her blog, you ask?...
She blogs almost every day, but she keeps it short and sweet. For me there is no bigger turn off in blogs than being hooked in by a super catchy title and then wasting the next half an hour suffering through an overly lengthy explanation of a topic that could have been summed up in a brief paragraph. It's nice that she blogs almost every day because you know that you are getting the freshest high quality news. Other people obviously approve because she's won EdTech's 2012 and 2013 Top Blogger title. She has also been featured in Forbes, the Washington Post, and on NPR talk radio. She is truly a professional and deserves the recognition.
I also like the wide range of topics that she's covered in her blog. Scrolling through, I saw that recently she had a talk session with a Mr. Chandler Bolt. She spoke about his book with him and how part of the money received is actually going to fund outreach work in Africa. In another post she recommends physical fitness hardware and software that can motivate adults especially and make exercise more entertaining, whether it is by exercising with friends, running from Zombies, or viewing fitness videos from celebrity trainers. We all love Jillian Michaels, ya know. Finally she wrote about her own personal feelings towards the implementation of technology in the classrooms. I have seen the pros and cons of technology in the classroom and I agree with her that in many public schools, technology is being used improperly and not to it's best benefit. In general, Mrs. Davis is a very broad spectrum writer and doesn't limit herself to only one topic.
Lastly I love that she's so real with her postings. She's a real teacher and a real mother and she writes from that standpoint. She sympathizes with the reader and doesn't live in the ideal world, she lives in the real world just like you and me. She appears to have a humble and witty personality and seems like someone that I would definitely get along with. I am going to be a budding teacher in a matter of years and I am already helping to raise a 7 year old boy. I can use all of the compassion and advice I can get before I'm in up to my eyeballs with responsibility. Being a working woman, especially being a working mom is quite like having two full time jobs, one of which being underpaid and one of which being unpaid all together. =-/. It takes a helping of patience and love and determination to hold it all together. I hope to be someone other teachers and moms can relate to just Mrs. Davis.
If you would like to check her out, you can find her at http://www.coolcatteacher.com/. Thanks for taking a moment to share in my first post on my first ever (future) teacher blog. =-D
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