Blogging

Now that you have created your own blog and used it through the previous eight lessons, describe in detail how you will use your blogging skills in your classroom.

Blogging could be an effective tool in getting students to journal, and journaling is a great way for students to practice writing and organizing ideas. Instead of having students keep a notebook, students could tip tap keys to record their thoughts and experiences. This may even be better for students in the long run. Our society is so technocentric that it may be irresponsible not to utilize every available technology at our disposal for teaching purposes.

Equal treatment

After reading and pondering the debate about teens lacking adult reasoning capacity, yet being held to adult consequences, what do you think this means for you as a teacher?

I think that it is important to explain this reality to students. It is also really important to model sound reasoning so that they have something to model.

Predictably, the portion of the music video that stood out to me was the brief reference to mood affecting performance. I will continue to use the various tools at hand to improve the moods of my students. This will increase their abilities in noticeable ways.

I read an article earlier that differentiated the ways we learn / adapt / make decisions as being unconscious and conscious (dorsal striatum versus hippocampus) - stressed versus positive. I wouldn't want decisions made in the same manner as a flight or fight response (the last being my parallel - no directly stated in the neuroscience article). That prospect seems ridiculous. Using instinct to problem solve is problematic. I do not see it being particularly reliable. So the only clear option is to utilize positive environments for learning; engage the hippocampus.

Reading is absolutely crucial in developing language. I will integrate reading into my classroom as much as possible. No matter what age I teach, this choice will remain. Reading can always improve, and practice makes perfect.

Being Relational as a Teacher

A teacher relates to a student by connecting with him/her. This is done by acknowledging the child's existence. That last bit made me smile. "Show me a teacher who doesn't acknowledge his/her student's existence," my brain shouts internally. My first reaction is to reject it out of hand because I believe that is what makes a bad teacher; not relating to students is on par (in my mind) with instructing incorrect content. And if that's a sound judgment, then why would any teacher be guilty of doing this? 

I really don't understand why anyone would have a problem connecting with his/her audience. I want to jump to social dysfunction diagnoses. Talking at student (not connecting) is not fun. I can't see that as being very enjoyable for anyone.

Response to Attention and Emotions videos

I currently teach students who learn differently how to read, read fluently, and/or understand what they have read. I am usually fairly patient with these kids, however, I do occasionally experience frustration instructing a child who is unable to completely receive a single complex question / instruction. I feel like this lesson's topics will help me to remain forever patient. I will continue to be patient because it will encourage the child's attention to adapt and develop. My continued patience might also make each child feel less stressful, thereby reducing brain toxicity, thereby promoting brain development and growth. 

I keep picturing toxic chemicals flooding a stressed brain. I wonder if the process perpetuates itself. Hmm...

Vision and Hearing videos

The overarching message that I received from these two videos was that vision and hearing issues need to be addressed as soon as possible. As a teacher, it will be my job to help identify such problems, so that the child can get any problems corrected (if possible). It might also be important to safeguard the vision and hearing of students (picture the very young). For example: I can remember being instructed not to look at the sun during an eclipse; had that wonderful teacher of mine forgotten, I might have seriously damaged my vision looking at the strange phenomena.

After watching the videos on brain architecture, plasticity, and understanding the impact of the environment on a child, how does this information impact you as a teacher?

As a teacher, I assume a highly influential role in a child's development. It is the responsibility of a teacher to cultivate potential through appropriate / effective instruction. Part of effectively accomplishing that goal is understanding the role of a teacher in the greater scheme of education: each teacher can be seen as establishing an individual building block in a child's brain function. Each block needs to be placed with precision, thereby allowing the precise placement of additional learning / experience blocks, etc.