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Exercise, It Improves Learning
Article posted September 12, 2009 at 12:30 AM GMT0 •
comment (1) • Reads 5503
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Exercise, It Improves Learning
I'm not the physical education teacher. So how does this affect my classroom, and why is it important to me as a content teacher?
The evidence shows that physical activity is good for kids.This has been shown in peer reviewed studies by cognitive scientists, exercise physiologists, educational psychologists, neurobiologists, physical educators, and supported by applied research in comparing academic achievements in schools where kids do and and do not have physical activity. Larry Abraham, of the Department of Kinesiology at the University of Texas at Austin states that it is just as important for students to move around in content classes as it is for them to count in physical education classes.
I'm sure you're still thinking, what does this have to do with me? Let's look at what exercise does for the body. Our starting point is really about the brain. The brain is involved in everything we do. First, exercise increases circulation which helps individual neurons get more oxygen and nutrients. This helps the brain to work the best which helps when learning content material. Second, it may increase the production of nerve growth factor, a hormone that enhances brain function. Certainly, when the brain is at its best, learning is at its best.
The next question would be, what can I do in my classroom to affect learning paired with exercise?
The following suggestions are taken from the book: "Brain-Based Learning The New paradigm of Teaching" by Eric Jensen.
* Use more slow stretching and breathing exercises to increase circulation and oxygen flow to the brain.
* Incorporate energizers every 20 minutes or so.
* Make sure that some of your planned activities have a built-in component of physical movement (eg., going outside to do a project, working on jigsaw puzzles).
* Provide manipulatives; have students hold, mold, and manipulate clay or other objects.
* Give learners permission to get up without permission to move around, stretch, or change postures so that they can monitor and manage their own energy levels.
* Facilitate hand movements each day with clapping games, dancing, puzzles, and manipulatives. Engage learners in cooperative activities and group work.
* Provide activities that offer varying levels of physical and mental challenge with plenty of feedback mechanisms for support.
* Offer novel activities, learning locations, and choices that require moving.
Plan what and how you will do your lessons. Use daily stretching exercises, walk and talks, dancing, role playing, seat changing, quick energizers, and movement games. In conclusion, Eric Jensen states: "Brain-compatible learning means weaving math, movement, geography, social skills, role-playing, science, and physical education together."
Think about it?
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Article posted September 12, 2009 at 12:30 AM GMT0 •
comment (1) • Reads 5503
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Brain-Based Learning! What Is It?
Article posted August 8, 2009 at 08:31 PM GMT0 •
comment • Reads 1287
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Since we use our brain for all learning, what is meant by brain-based learning? Brain-based education is defined in three words. The three words are Engagement (the active engagement), Strategies (of purposeful strategies), and Principles (based on principles of neuroscience).
We as educators need to think about learning and how it works. We need to consider the nature of the brain in making decisions on our pedagogy. Eric Jensen (2008) states: "Brain-based education considers how the brain learns best. The brain does not learn on demand by a school's rigid, inflexible schedule. It has its own rhythms." This understanding of the brain is fueling movement to redesign learning worldwide.
Have you ever felt so tired in the afternoon that you'd like to just take a nap? You just hit your low energy level. Our biocycles influence many things such as alertness and memory.
Eric Jensen states in his book Brain-Based Learning, The New Paradigm of Teaching: "The essential understanding here is that the brain is not designed to work as "on or off". Its intensity and capacity vary throughout the day and night...This understanding means that it's not very well designed to be focused, locked in, and riveted on classwork for six hours a day. You can entice it to do that for a short time, but its natural rhythm is activity and rest (or, if you wish, focus and diffusion)."
Let's take a look at these rhythms, and see how they might affect learning in our classrooms.
* Ultradian: <20 hours (90-110 minutes), high to low to high energy
* Circadian: 24 hours: at night, it's sleep time
* One's peak of nighttime sleep and daytime drowsiness follows a regular 12-hour cycle. You are at your groggiest time about 12 hours after the midpoint of your previous night's sleep
* Attentional cycle-As this 90-minute high/low biocognitive cycle alters blood flow and breathing, the brain alternates between more efficient verbal and spatial processing abilities (Khalsa, Ziegler, & Kennedy, 1986)
* Hormones-Every two hours hormones are released into the bloodstream that can alter our mood and impact learning
We, as educators, can use strategies in the classroom to deal with the adverse affects of these rhythms.
* Movements like stretching or marching helps refocus attention
* Encourage students to stand and stretch without looking for attention if they feel drowsy
* Use portfolios as assessments because they reflect learning over a longer period of time
* Block scheduling at the secondary level-with 90 minutes. It allows a teacher to provide a time for students to relax quietly for 10 minutes
* Cross-lateral physical activity can stimulate both sides of the brain and energize thinking
* Young learners-limit content, lectures, and cognitive activities to 5-10 minutes each
* Adolescents-limit content, lectures, and cognitive activities to 10 -15 minutes each
* Adults-no more than 25 minutes
* After each of these learning times conduct activities such as pair shares, or model building
* Provide downtime
Once again, it's something we educators need to think about, then make changes where we can. If you want to learn more check out Eric Jensen's books: Deeper Learning, Introduction to Brain-Compatible Learning, and Brain-Based Learning.
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Article posted August 8, 2009 at 08:31 PM GMT0 •
comment • Reads 1287
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Are You Hindering Your Student’s Cognitive Ability?
Article posted March 7, 2009 at 03:12 PM GMT0 •
comment (1) • Reads 3246
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I want you to stop and think, are you hindering your students’ cognitive abilities? In other words, does the way you deliver learning to your students (pedagogy) help or hinder their cognitive growth?
Up to a week ago, I never would have thought about this idea. Then an e-mail from a colleague showed me an online news article that changed my thinking. After reading the article and watching the video it changed my perception when it comes to cognitive ability. When I saw third graders doing order of operations, negative numbers, and coming up with algebraic equations for solving problems, and reading about what first graders could do in math, I came to the realization that I shouldn’t sell students short if (and that’s an important if) they are given a solid foundation in math that allows them to explore.
Does this apply only to math? Could there be other areas in our curriculum that we inadvertently hold students back? Check the article and video out and see what you think. Go to:
target=_blank>http://www.oregonlive.com/news/index.ssf/2008/12/math_education.html
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Article posted March 7, 2009 at 03:12 PM GMT0 •
comment (1) • Reads 3246
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iTouch, the New Handheld!
Article posted February 15, 2009 at 03:23 AM GMT0 •
comment • Reads 779
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Handhelds are back in education, and it is called an iTouch. If you think back five years ago you will remember Palm handhelds. Everyone thought they would be the answer to one to one computing. Unfortunately, Palmone, the company who made the handhelds, decided to move into a different direction, and the whole movement died. Handhelds are still around, but have been incorporated into cellphones.
About one and a half years ago, Apple came out with a new device called the iTouch. The iTouch was more like an advanced iPod. It could play music, movies, and go on the internet. Then, last July 1st, Apple opened a new section in iTunes called the App Store. To make things even better, they opened up, and provided free of charge to anyone who wanted to, the program needed to make applications for the App Store. As of this date, there are more than 20,000 applications available. It is now expected that sales of these apps will pass the one billion mark this year. So what does this have to do with education?
Initially, the iTouch was fairly expensive. The price was lowered last September for an opening 8gig iTouch to $229. The Palm Tungston E's sold for $200. The number of iTouch apps for education has already surpassed 1500. With the Palm handheld apps you had to buy an application for every handheld you had or buy a site license. With the iTouch apps, the price is much lower, free up to $9.99, with most being under $5. The other great thing is that you can put them on as many iTouch's that you sync to one computer.
It is still early on in the application development time frame, considering the app store has only been open seven months. But one of the favorites, Lemonade Stand, is already there for only $0.99. They don't have Sketchy, but they do have something similar called Flipbook. There are a number of math practice apps such as Number Crunch, and also quiz making ones like gFlash. Another great app is Stanza. This app allows you to read many great classics. Since there are new apps being introduced almost everyday, you have to continually check.
You can also put audio books and converted videos from teachertube.com or youtube.com on the iTouch.
Hopefully, this will get you thinking and checking out the many uses the iTouch has in the classroom. Remember, we are dealing with multimedia students who will engage themselves in learning using the right tools and our guidance.
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Article posted February 15, 2009 at 03:23 AM GMT0 •
comment • Reads 779
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Are We Moving Into a Post-Literate Society? Part 2
Article posted December 4, 2008 at 12:59 AM GMT0 •
comment • Reads 1919
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Last time I tossed you the bombshell idea that we are moving into a post-literate society. Again, this doesn’t mean the students can’t read, but they choose to communicate in other ways. I left you with a homework assignment to read what other educational bloggers are saying. I also finished the article with the suggestion that you think about how this idea would influence the classroom.
So what should a classroom look like in a post-literate society? Are we going to take out the printed word? Are we going to box up all the books? No, students still need to learn comprehension and other reading skills. It should be more of a change in balance. It is more about our approach.
In the past, a traditional classroom was basically text based. A 21st century classroom should be balanced with multi-media and text. In the past, a teacher would begin with a text-based lesson, and occasionally supported with a multi-media reinforcement such as a movie (or if you want to go way back, a filmstrip). With today’s students, our lessons should begin with a multi-media form of lesson to capture their interest and then move to a text support for added connection. Every school should have a contract with a multimedia center such as United Streaming. At www.unitedstreaming.com you will find thousands of movies aligned by grade level and subject matter. They have even aligned their media with state curriculum standards. But the best part is the fact that they have broken the movies into segments. Students today are multi-media driven, but at the same time when it comes to learning, they don’t want a 45-minute movie. They lose their interest after 10 -15 minutes. With segments, you can pick the exact part that fits with what you are teaching.
In summary, begin your lessons with multimedia. This will capture their interest quicker. Next time, I’ll talk about others ideas, such as gaming, to capture the interest of a post-literate classroom full of students.
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Article posted December 4, 2008 at 12:59 AM GMT0 •
comment • Reads 1919
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Are We Moving Into a Post-Literate Society?
Article posted October 15, 2008 at 03:28 AM GMT0 •
comment • Reads 1642
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Are We Moving Into a Post-Literate Society?
I know this statement might knock you over, but please stop and think about it. Wikipedia defines a post-literate society as: a society wherein multimedia technology has advanced to the point where literacy, the ability to read written words, is no longer necessary. This doesn’t mean they can’t read, but choose to meet their main information and recreational needs through audio, video, graphics and gaming. Now think about the students you have today. What do they choose to do first for pleasure, read a book, or do they seek multi-media stimulation?
Doug Johnson, writer of the Blue Skunk Blog, wrote a blog titled Libraries for a post-literate society I and is located at http://doug-johnson.squarespace.com/blue-skunk-blog/2008/8/13/libraries-for-a-post-literate-society-i.html . He later followed it with two more blogs titled: Libraries for a post-literate society II and In defense of postliteracy. Doug Johnson’s premise is that this isn’t necessarily a bad thing. We are just returning to a 21st century style of communication that is quote: “similar to more natural forms of communication - speaking, storytelling, dialogue, debate, and dramatization.”
If this is true, and I believe it is, because I see it all around me (including my three teenagers) think of the ramifications it should have on education. Are we making the change in our classrooms to meet these challenges? From what I’m reading from top educational speakers and my observations around me not much is changing. Is it a wonder we are losing the students in school? They are checking out on us because we continue to teach in the old way. As one parent said to me today, “Why don’t they learn it like we did?” My reply was that these kids aren’t us. This is not a generational gap. This is a paradigm change in the way kids think and interact with their world.
So, what are you doing or going to do about this change. The first place to start is to begin reading what others are saying and what research is telling us. Check out the blogs of Doug Johnson, Ian Jukes, David Warlick, Will Richardson, Kathy Schrock, or Tony Vincent, to name a few. Become part of an online community of teachers such as: (http://www.classroom20.com/) and discuss this topic. Observe your students and ask them what excites them. This will get you started, but it is only the beginning. In closing, let’s look back at that question again. Are we moving into a post-literate society? It’s something to think about.
Next month I’ll talk about ideas on how to address this issue in the classroom. Now go do your homework and see what others are saying.
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Article posted October 15, 2008 at 03:28 AM GMT0 •
comment • Reads 1642
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21st Century Learning? Is This the Answer!
Article posted August 19, 2008 at 04:48 PM GMT0 •
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As you read all the articles and blogs, view the videos, and sort through what everybody is saying about the change so badly needed in education you find this concept has so many parts it's hard to nail it all down. But then I read the article called: 30 Strategies for Education Reform by Prakash Nair located at http://fieldingnair.com/edreformnair1.pdf. Prakash is not an educationalist. He's an architect who's part of a global award winning company that designs and builds schools. As he worked on schools he realized that he needed to focus on how students learn in coming up with how to build a school building. As he looked at all the research, he brought together these 30 strategies for today's learning.
He begins this online guidebook with this thought and I quote: "In education, there is widespread support for the idea that every student is important and yet, in practice, systems are set up to favor a few at the expense of the many." After giving supports for why reform is needed he gives individual guidance for superintendents and board members, principals, parents, teachers, and students on how to use the guidebook. He then lists the 30 strategies while linking them to three categories (pedagogy, organization, and non-academic). After that he gives an overview of each of the strategies. He concludes the guidebook with a survey to get you to put into action what you have just read.
I highly recommend this as a great read. It brings together what everyone is saying and puts wheels on how to get going with 21st century learning and being a world class classroom and school.
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Article posted August 19, 2008 at 04:48 PM GMT0 •
comment • Reads 2327
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Educational Change-Are you ready for it?
Article posted June 9, 2008 at 03:03 PM GMT0 •
comment • Reads 1718
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There are many great, hard-working teachers who are trying to do the best for their students. But all of us (teachers) need to ask ourselves one question. Are we preparing our students for their future, or our past?
You may wonder what I mean by that statement. Let me explain. For most of the 20th century classrooms were run throughout America in a similar fashion. Students sat in rows and listened to the teacher explain the material. The students did a lot of memorization by rote and took tests on the material. Many a classroom was expected to be quiet and function peacefully. This type of education was great for preparing students for a workforce that was driven by industry. After all, the industrial revolution began in the late 19th century and through most of the 20th century.
Towards the end of the 20th century things began to change. Industry moved out of the country, and the economy became global in nature. Technology changed the way we live and continues to change it at an increasingly faster pace. Communication happens instantly. No longer are we in our little local world. The skills that were important before are no longer needed because those jobs have gone elsewhere. We have a whole new set of skills that students need. As I've talked about before, skills such as collaboration, problem solving, and critical thinking are major parts of this new skill set.
What do we need to do to make this change? Something I haven't seen in my 22 years of teaching. We need to start discussing pedagogy. Pedagogy is the art or science of teaching. Constantly we are bombarded with aligning the curriculum and assessment in this atmosphere of No Child Left Untested. But other than assessment, do we take a look at our teaching methods and how they relate to today's students learning styles. Because of the multi-media atmosphere our students live in today they learn differently. Their brains are being rewired to a more visual and tactile way of learning. We grew up in an age of auditory learning. So are we meeting the needs of our students if we continue to teach the way we were taught? The answer is a resounding NO!!!
Think about this statement: Sometimes we don't know what we don't know. The more I think about this the more I see how relevant it is in so many situations. How can I change if I don't know I should. Do we ever talk much about the art of teaching and I'll add, learning. It's time that whenever we talk about curriculum we need to talk about pedagogy. Teaching and learning isn't about just turning the page in your textbook. I think sometimes we are to reliant on the textbook and that is why we don't think or talk about what good pedagogy looks like. Ask your students, they'll tell you how they like to learn. I've gotten more insight into learning when I started to talk to my students. They have become the teacher at times.
The problem is it's summer, and the students aren't around.What should you do next. You can start by going to http://www.21stcenturyskills.org/ . They have many resources available. Set up an iGoogle account and add Google Reader. Then find blogs like 2¢ Worth, ian jukes, Weblogg-ed, Blue Skunk Blog, and others. Sign up on a social networking site for educators where discussion of pedagogy is common place such as http://www.classroom20.com/. This will get you started in a new world of thinking. Since summer is here, it's a great time to learn and prepare for the fall.
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Article posted June 9, 2008 at 03:03 PM GMT0 •
comment • Reads 1718
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Web 2.0 What Can It Do For You?
Article posted March 24, 2008 at 04:27 PM GMT0 •
comment • Reads 1678
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A while back I wrote about Web 2.0 and what it was all about. It's now time to revisit this issue and get more practical about its use.
To refresh your memory, Web 1.0 was basically static. You went to the Internet to get written information or pictures. The only interaction you had with the Internet was the reading you did. Along came Web 2.0, and with it a move from static to interactive. Today, you are no longer just a consumer, but can become a producer as well. Students today see the Internet as a part of them and their daily lives as they interact with it. So how can we make it a part of the everyday classroom?
1. Documents-In our school, a student opens up Microsoft Word and works on their document. When they save it, it goes into their network file until they need it later. The problem with this is, what if they want to work on it later at home? Sorry, it can't be done. Or what about the student that does work on a document at home and then emails it to school. Once at the school they can't open it up properly because of the application they used at home. How about moving from one system to another, meaning from Linux to Mac to PC? This causes plenty of headaches. What if I told you all this could be solved. We are beginning to shift our students to Web 2.0 applications. All my students have opened an iGoogle account. It's free and easy to do.
step 1-open google
step 2-choose Sign in at the upper right
step 3-then choose Create an account now at the middle right
Once you've opened an account, make sure you confirm the email. In your iGoogle account choose Add Stuff at the top right. Then type in google in the Search for Gadgets section. Choose Google Docs. Make sure you are using Foxfire, Internet Explorer, or Safari 3.0 for your browser. Once set up you are now ready to compose and save any documents you want. All the problems of before will be gone. A student can get to their work any time and print it from any computer.
The account also has Spreadsheet and Presentation applications. These don't have all the bells and whistles of Microsoft Office, but they do the job. Another place to go is www.zoho.com. Once again, it is free and has even more applications. Both Google and Zoho are continuing to improve their applications.
2. Blogs-Blog is short for Web Log. The best way to describe it is an online journal. You, as the teacher could post and have students comment on it. Research has shown that students write better when they know others will see it. That has certainly been the case when I've done blogs. There are many sites out there, but the one I use is www.classblogmeister.com.This site is designed for teachers. A student's blog is not published until you, the teacher, has approved it. You can make comments and then send it back for editing before it is published. The other thing is, you can teach students how to make good comments on other blogs. Once again, these comments don't go anywhere until you've approved them.
3. Videos-Have students make videos on what they've learned and upload them to www.teachertube.com. Make a How to video and make it available for your students to use. The good thing is the fact that this is not a site that's blocked in schools.
4. Wiki-I know you are probably saying, what is that? A wiki is a collaborative tool where students can work together on the same project at the same time. Create a wiki and participants can go to the wiki at their convenience to add, change, and edit content. You can add images and web-links to the document. There are many sites available for this.I've used
5 target=_blank>www.wikispaces.com.
5. Social Networking-There's been a lot of talk about social network sites, and certainly they've been blocked in the schools. There are now sites available that create a closed network for students to discuss school issues or whatever else you as the teacher designs it for. Go to http://www.ning.com/, sign up, and then design what you want the students to be able to do. Get them actively involved in their own learning while you guide them.
6. Forums-Now for helping you, the teacher. If some of this seems overwhelming, check out the many teacher forums that are available to allow you to ask questions and get answers. I just joined Classroom 2.0. Check it out at http://www.classroom20.com/. You can ask questions about teaching and have other teachers from around the globe post their suggestions or what they've discovered.
7. Collaborative Network-One last place I'd like to suggest is http://voicethread.com/#home. This is a site for K-12 educators to use with their students. The difference that this site offers is voice. Check out the site to see examples of what can be done with the students. This is a site for even the younger students to use and be creative.
We live in a different world where the Internet is a vital part of it. I've only touched on some of the possibilities. We, as educators, need to bring real world application into our classrooms, instead of turning our students off to learning with our 20th century ways. Check it out and give it a chance, because your students will be more engaged, and with proper engagement comes learning.
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Article posted March 24, 2008 at 04:27 PM GMT0 •
comment • Reads 1678
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Textbooks, Here Today, Gone Tomorrow?
Article posted February 17, 2008 at 09:41 PM GMT0 •
comment • Reads 505
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Last month I talked about grades and when they're appropriate. This month I'd like to take a look at something we, as teachers, do every day.
As the opening bell, buzzer, light, or whatever goes off every morning in every school across the nation, teachers have already made many decisions that apply to what the students will learn that day. This has been a time honored part of being a teacher for as long as teachers have been around. In the last century, the learning has centered around textbooks written for every subject. Even today, this practice continues throughout our nation and world.
Each week a teacher plans out their lessons based on the textbook they're using, following page by page and chapter by chapter until they complete the textbook or the school year runs out. You may say, yeah, your point?
My point is that the 21st century (the digital age) has arrived and with it a whole new way of doing things. You may ask, why should I change just because something new has come along? I agree, no one should change just because something new is available. Change should take place when it's more beneficial.
Observe your students and consider what you see. Are they truly engaged in that textbook, or are they checking out? I had a fellow teacher remark to me a year ago that she didn't see students very interested in their textbook anymore. How about you? Does going through a textbook page by page and chapter by chapter really fulfil your state standards, or is it just easier.
In all of this, does it meet the needs of today's students.
In the last two years, brain research has changed what we thought about how the brain works. With the help of technology we can see that today's students are different from the past in how their brain functions. These "screenagers", as some have called them, even prefer different colors then in the past. Blood red and neon green are some of their favorite colors. Their least favorite color is black. We're not talking about what color they like to wear, but what they like to see on the screen or in print. I've watched many students reverse the colors on their computer screens so it's white on black, instead of black on white. Now think of these implications when it comes to textbooks. I've seen students enjoy reading a book on their handheld computer, which is digital, compared to reading a hardcover book.
In the January 2008 edition of Technology & Learning magazine an article entitled "Top 10 Tech Trends" written by Susan McLester states In the recent report, A Revolution in K-12 Digital Content How Soon Is Now? research group Eduventures declares the textbook "dead...or at least dying" as the "primary content delivery mechanism" for schools. In another article from the same edition Tom McHale writes an article entitled "Tossing Out Textbooks" where he talks about a Tucson high school that has done away with textbooks and gone totally digital using laptops.
As we've talked about in the past, today's students are more engaged when it comes to learning in student centered classrooms vs. the traditional teacher centered approach. So are you ready to make a change? You don't have to have a bank of computers to make the change, but it does help. In my next article I'll talk about ways you can break the textbook dependency cycle. Till then, think about it.
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Article posted February 17, 2008 at 09:41 PM GMT0 •
comment • Reads 505
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My Classes & Students
About the Blogger
I've been teaching for over 23 years. I believe in integrating technology into my classroom through student centered learning because it excites the students.
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