Ken Robinson says schools kill creativity

I agree with many things he said.  I believe the school system focuses very heavily on the subjects of math, science, english, and history.  This leaves little room for creativity. Some students learn better when using their creative side.  We should allow students to have more freedom to express their creative side.  We should not shut out their creative thoughts, we should allow them to express themselves in the way they feel appropriate.

John Hunter: World Peace Game

1.  He has taken all of the qualities he liked from his previous teachers and uses those things in his classroom now.  He would not be where he was today if it weren't for the people who taught him.

2.  The game was a way to allow the students to have fun interaction while learning at the same time.  This would be much more effective than just listening to a lecture about world problems and how to solve them.

3.  The children play the roles of Prime Minister, goddess of the weather, there is a destroyer, and there are also army generals. 

4.  John Hunter called himself the facilitator.

5.  The condolence letter allows the students to really think about their soldiers before they go into a war that may not be necessary.

6.  John Hunter is a creative thinker who cares about his students and wants them to learn the most they can.

7.  I think it is important for the students to learn to think on their own, so yes I feel he was successful.

Technology Tip

The new tip I learned was that you can combine shapes on Powerpoints. The Combine Shapes command is not available on the ribbon. To access this command, it must be added to the Quick Access Toolbar. Click the Customize Quick Access Toolbar… button on the Quick Access Toolbar and select More Commands. In the Choose commands from: drop down, select Commands Not in the Ribbon. Scroll down and select Combine Shapes. Click Add and OK.
I would like to learn more about how to use the SmartBoard in the classroom.  I know this can be a very helpful tool, I am just not sure how to work all of the features.

Other Tips:
Ctrl+F=find words in documents 
print screen = screen shot
Ctrl+S = Save
Ctrl+Z= undo
Ctrl+Alt+Delete = start/end programs
Ctrl+ 2 = double space
Ctrl + 1 = single space
Alt + Tab = switches between open tabs
Transferbigfiles.com - Transfers large files up to 2G
Ctrl + C = copy
Ctrl + V= Paste
Ctrl + B = Bold
Ctrl + W = closes current tab
Ctrl + R = right aline
Ctrl + L = left aline
Ctrl + E = center
Ctrl + A = Select all
Ctrl + P = Print
Ctrl+ I = Italicize
For passwords use capital letter, number, and symbol

Color Wheel Concept Map

Video

I.       Primary Colors

Primary colors are the colors that can not be made by mixing any other colors.  The primary colors are red, yellow, and blue.  When these colors are mixed with one another they can create the secondary colors.  If a primary color is mixed with a neutral color it will create a tint of color.  All other colors come from these three colors.  If we thought of the color wheel as a family the primary colors would be the parents.

A.    Red

B.    Yellow

C.    Blue

1.    Cool Color

The blues and greens of the color wheel are known as cool colors.  These colors usually represent cooler temperatures.  These colors are associated with water, ice, and the sky.  You would use cool colors to represent the calm in the picture.

II.     Secondary Colors

A secondary color is a color made by mixing two primary colors together.  If you mix the primary colors red and yellow for example, the result is the secondary color of orange. The other two secondary colors are green and purple. The primary colors must be mixed in equal proportions to receive the exact secondary colors.  These colors are sometime described as the "children" of the Primary colors. 

A.    Green

B.    Purple

C.    Orange

1.    Warm Color

The reds, yellows, and oranges of color wheel are known as warm colors.  These colors go along with warmer temperatures such as the sun or fire.  These colors also represent warmth, comfort, or energy in a work of art.

III.    Tertiary Colors

Tertiary colors are created by the combination of a primary and secondary colors.  Therefore, there are two colors that make up a tertiary color.  There are six tertiary colors.  Tertiary colors add great variety to the color wheel.  Usually the primary color is listed first in the name.

A.    Yellow-Orange

B.    Red-Orange

C.    Red-Purple

D.    Blue-Purple

E.    Blue-Green

F.     Yellow-Green

IV.    Neutral Colors

The neutral colors are gray, black, and white.  Neutral colors are the color that are neither warm nor cool. Neutral colors result from the combination of two complementary colors.  These colors are also included in the earth tones.  These three colors mix very well with any of the other colors because they are neutral.

A.    Black

B.    Gray

C.    White

V.     Complementary Colors

In the color theory, two colors are called complementary if, when mixed in the proper proportion, they produce a neutral color (grey, white, or black).  Complementary colors are exact opposite of one another on the color wheel. The high contrast of complementary colors creates a vibrant look especially when used at in full clarity. These are the colors you normally see together because they look best together.  The complementary colors are yellow and purple, red and green, and blue and orange.

A.    Red and Green

B.    Blue and Orange

C.    Yellow and Purple

Technology in the Classroom

After reading Technology in the Classroom: The Good and Bad my eyes were opened to some new facts about children and technology.  This article start by explaining a scenario with a kindergarten teacher who already uses technology in his classroom with children at such a young age. However, the students were able to take one lesson and connect it to many other things they learned previously on the cell phone and ipad available to them.  I personally do not think this is a bad way to learn.  The students are more engaged when using technology rather than listening to a teacher lecture.  One comment in the article suggests technology is used for purposes of being a pacifier or babysitter.  However, when used in the classroom in the right way it can be used for learning purposes. 

The main thing we should take into consideration when allowing children to use technology is the difference between engagement and addiction.  There is a difference.  If the children are using technology for useful purposes rather than entertainment, technology can actually be a great way of learning.  As parents and teachers, I feel it is our duty to know the difference between the two and the purpose for which the child is using technology. According to the article, "More than half of all children ages 8 and younger have access to a mobile device at home, either a smartphone, a video iPod, or an iPad or other tablet". The children are obviously using technology, so we should make sure it is used as a learning tool.  Although I agree with technology use, I also agree with the article that children should also have time to learn other needed skills as well.  There should be a healty balance between the two. 

Computer Terms

What is software?
Downloadable material to be used on the computer for certain purposes. Gives intructions to the computer so it can run what you want it to run.
Ex: Microsoft Office

What is hardware?
Anything you can touch on the computer is known as hardware.
Example: Keyboard

What is CPU?
Central Processing Unit- carries out instructions from your keyboard for example (like the brain of the computer)

What is RAM?
Random Access Memory- non-volatile, helps the computer to run at faster speeds

What is ROM?
Read Only Memory- saves information even if the power is shut off

What does a hard drive do?
The hard drive is used for storage of materials you can access later.

What is a server?
A very large central processor that many devices can run off of.
Example: Google

The Machine is Using Us

The digital text we use on the computer is more movable and workable than written text.  We use the computer so much that we are used to this kind of text.  In fact, we are the ones responsible for the computer.  Essentially we are the machine.  We are the ones teaching the machine new ideas.  This is true because we are the ones who are responsible for organizing the data on the web, we are the ones who make the computer run.  In fact, we are so involved in the web that a blog is born every 1/2 second.  To me that is a shocking fact.  To sum up, because we are the machine we should rethink the information we tell the computer.  We should rethink our identity to the computer.