Post #4 -- Engaging Learners

     Engaging learners has been a big part of the different classrooms that I have been able to visit. One way they have done it, is by having them in groups and looking up information online. They had a project of looking up life-cycles of different animals. She had them in groups, they looked it up, and they talked together about how they were going to do it. Then, they drew it out on the poster board and divided the work between all of them.
     Another way I have seen, is when one class played a math game. This game was absolutely fun to see that the students were really engaged as they had to pay attention for when they heard the equation that linked to their answer they had on their card. They also really wanted to beat their previous time. So, even when they were done with their card, they were paying attention to see how everyone else would do to be able to beat their previous time.
     Another way to engage them was during D.A.R.E. They were wearing drunk goggles and trying to navigate through an obstacle course. This is like doing a field study. They were really enjoying when they did it, and they enjoyed it even more when other students were doing this. This really showed me that using activities like this really makes the kids pay attention and have it soak in a bit more.

Blog #3: Classroom Environment

     One time that the teacher gave the students a choice, was when some had finished their project. She gave them the choice that they could either walk around and help other students who have not finished, or do something quietly at their desk. This was a great opportunity for students who feel comfortable to help other students. When we teach others what we have learned, subjects become more ingrained in our mind. Some are not comfortable with that, so it is great to allow them to do something they enjoy at their desk.

     One classroom I have visited, has a game where they pass out cards so that each student has one (or more). On these cards is a number and a multiplication equation. The first person says they have the first card and state the equation (i.e. 3x5). The student who has the product then states the answer (i.e. 15), and then states the next equation. This goes on until a student says who has the first card. They try and beat their previous best time. This encourages a positive classroom community because they are all working towards a goal and try to help each other through this process. They do their best and rejoice together when they succeed. It is fun to watch the students feel like they are a part of something good.

     One routine that I saw has stuck with me. Every time they transition from one activity to another, she has them sit in learning position. This means that there is no talking, students hands are free, and they are facing forward waiting for further instruction. She has a timer that shows how much time they are given to  be in learning ready position. Once the timer is done, she starts a counter and it shows how much of their time they lose. This supports a productive learning environment because the students know what is expected of them, can see how long they have, and know what the consequences are if they do not comply. This also ensures that they are ready for further instruction.

Constructivism in my Learning Experience

     One of the biggest examples that I can think of in my learning life of any of the theories, was during my fifth-grade year. I was in the gifted program called GATE. We wanted to learn more about our city, Las Vegas. We had the idea to see what it was like to be a tourist in our city – since all of us had been there since we were rather young. So, our advisor had us come up with a plan to make money to support this endeavor. We decided that we would sell hot dogs, chips and lemonade during both lunches to generate the necessary revenue.

     First, we had to come up with a viable business model and proposal so that we could present it to Principal Vining for permission. We drafter it up, and sent two students (I was one of the two selected, that is what happens when you are a loudmouth, people think you will talk under all circumstances) to present it to her. Upon her approval, we went back to our advisor and other GATE students to start putting together a budget sheet. We put down the costs of all the materials: hot dogs, buns, ketchup, mustard, lemonade mix, cups, chips, and sometimes we would sell cookies. We wanted to make it profitable, and to do so, we would need to find price points that work. With our advisor’s help, we put the hot dog price at $.50 and a meal price at $1.00.

     Though she would be the one handling the cooking of the hot dogs, we would be the ones putting them together. We also made the lemonade, poured them into cups, put the hot dogs together, took the money, gave change, cleaned up after, and crunched the numbers (we had her help at this part). We then would start to look at how much it would cost to rent hotel rooms for a night, how much it would cost to go to the different attractions we wanted to attend, and how much it would cost to eat while we were acting as tourists. We concluded it would cost $125/person with 6 people (adults would pay for themselves). We needed to profit $750 to reach that goal. After two weeks of selling, you saw that it would take four months to obtain the sufficient funds. It ended up only taking us 3 months.

     When the time came, we called to book our hotel, we bought the tickets to go and see the show we wanted to, we even called to make reservations at the restaurant where we wanted to eat. Everything was in place. The activity itself was amazing! We had so much fun pretending that we were new to city, and for most of us, the was the first time staying at a hotel on the strip (back then, it was a push for family friendly, completely different than it is now). Once, we were done, we had to type up a report together and give it to Mrs. Vining. This really was the best learning experience I had in all my educational experience. I learned more about running a business, budgeting, planning for a trip, and being patient working for what you want than at any other time. Because of this, I really have a deep appreciation for constructivism.