January 27th Learning Log

What?

Today we discussed the importance of RAD teaching. RAD is an acronym that stands for:

R: Reticular Activating System (Fight or Flight System)
A: Amydala (Emotional Center)
D: Dopamine (Feel-good neurotransmitter)

RAD teaching is important to increase knowledge retention. If implemented correctly, it creates an environment where the student can feel comfortable, predict what is coming, and at the same time have fun, spontaneous learning experiences.
Strategies that may be used to further incorporate RAD learning into the classroom would be: Novelty, fun, prediction, color, music, peer interaction, physical activity, cues, stimulation of prior knowledge and/or interest, attentive focus.

We also discussed the importance of exercise in brain function. Dr. John Ratey, a noted scientist of the brain, has proven the connection between improved brain functioning and exercise. Involving exercise into the curriculum if possible can dramatically increase classroom performance.

So What?

The things covered in class today are very important to education. Implementing current research regarding better knowledge retention not only improves the student's educational experience and comfort, but also helps them prepare for their future career paths, whether it be through college or not. As a student myself now, I can even implement these things in my life today to better improve my education experience.

Now What?

Learning how to implement these strategies now in my own life will help me better understand how to implement them in my future classroom. Upon contemplation of my primary content area (health), I can see how implementing exercise as part of the curriculum would be really quite simple. Not only would it help teach my students in a hands-on way, but it would also improve their brain functioning. In a way, I would really be doing their other teachers a favor! I do indeed plan to implement both RAD learning and exercise into my future classrooms.

WebQuest Reflection

What?

The four types of educational research & their definitions include:

1. Descriptive Study: Informative assessment of current situations. This type of study reflects current information about events, frequency, people, etc.
   
2. Correlational Study: Investigates the relationship between two variables and the effect they have on each other.
   
3. Experimental Study: The manipulation of variables, including an experimental group and a control (constant) group. Experiments are used to measure changes observed based on the variable that was changed.
   
4. Action Research: Research conducted by teachers, administration, or other school personnel to assess current issues or situations occurring in the areas of their jurisdiction.
   

Each type of research is important and applicable in its own way. Each situation where research is conducted should be examined to determine what type of research is appropriate.

So What?

I have learned that educational research is extremely important in order to understand what works and what doesn't work in education. Each type is important in the appropriate situations. Descriptive studies are useful in determining the actual specifics of situations. They should take on an unbiased view of a situation, and allow you to see a situation through a different lens. Correlational studies are important in order to determine how two attributes or characteristics influence each other. Experimental studies allow you to try out how changes may affect the situation you are in (i.e. how altering your teaching can affect your student's grades). Action research gives you the power as a teacher to conduct research in your own school or classroom. This gives you data applicable to your situation specifically, and it doesn't have to be generalizable to other teachers' situations if you do not want it to be.

Now What?

There is still a lot I do not know about educational research. I would like to learn more about how I can apply large educational research to my own classroom and use it to benefit my students. I would also like to learn more about how to conduct my own action research as a teacher. Doing so would help me be a better educator because I would be able to evaluate the effectiveness of my teaching. Learning to do my own correlational studies would also be beneficial, especially if I have behavioral issues in my classroom, to see which behaviors perpetuate other behaviors.

If I apply educational research to my future classroom, I will be able to better serve my students through effective teaching. Applying behavioral and learning studies will help me understand how best my students can retain information and behave well in the classroom. I can also perform research on myself in order evaluate how I am performing as a teacher.

Brain Learning Log

What?

There are 12 different areas of the brain that we covered in class. Each has a very specific responsibility in maintaining normal function. Any trauma or disease to any area of the brain can severely or only partially change function. The different areas of the brain are interdependent on one another. When it is said that a specific area of the brain controls certain types of brain activity, it is actually only the most centralized part of the brain for that specific activity. In reality there is activity in all areas of the brain to some degree in almost any task. The portion of the brain I was personally asked to share was Broca's Area. Broca's area is responsible for language and music production. It was named after a doctor/scientist in the mid-1800's named Pierre Paul Broca. Aphasia caused by disruption of this area usually only effects the patient in being able to say what they want to say. They can effectively think complete thoughts, it is just a matter of speaking or producing them. This is in contrast to regular aphasia, which usually causes problems with writing, reading, speaking, and listening. This is usually sustained traumatically, while disruption of Broca's area can be cause by both disease and trauma.

So What?

The information we learned about the brain is important for educators to understand. Students we encounter may have issues with certain areas of their brain, and if we as teachers have a greater knowledge of how the brain functions, we will be able to better serve them and provide a quality education for them.

Now What?

It is valuable for me to know about the brain as a future educator so that I can vary my teaching in order to build the most connections within the brain for knowledge retention. If I teach strictly by memorization, my students will not be able to retain the knowledge as well. We must build experiences for our students in order to build the most neural connections within their brains. This may be challenging for me, considering I am teaching Health, Anatomy, and Biology. All of these subjects are very fact-memorization based. I will have to come up with varied ways in order to teach my students to retain the information, rather than just regurgitate it, and then forget it.

Ed Psych Hidden Assignment

The goals I have for this course are:

1. To gain a greater understanding of how the teenage mind works
   
2. How to most effectively teach my students, based on their level of mental development
   
3. To learn the most beneficial teaching strategies for my students in my area of content.
   

Weekly Preparation Plan:

My weekly preparation plan will begin each week on Monday night. I will double check that I have done all of the previous weeks homework & reading, and that it is ready for class on Tuesday Morning. Tuesday I will be sure to write down all of the tasks I need to complete for the coming week. Before Sunday, I will have done my best to complete the homework for the following Tuesday, leaving the next two days to catch mistakes I might have made or assignments I may have forgotten.

Study Strategies:

The study strategies that I will use to understand the content of this class include reading the materials as asked, summarizing what I have read, double checking my knowledge and understanding of key terms, and then creation of a study guide to help me remember and be able to refer back to during study. I usually create a study guide on my own in other classes, but seeing as it is part of the coursework of this class, it will coincide will with my usual study habits.

Question Process:

The process I will follow if I do not understand will be as such:

1. Refer to the book and course materials
   
2. Ask a fellow classmate to see if they caught the answer to the question
   
3. Ask the professor for clarification.
   

I will reach my goals for this course by diligently attending to my assignments, turning them in on time, and doing my best to comprehend the material.

Motivation.

I can definitely say that I am very motivated to become a teacher.. and a GREAT teacher at that!
I am currently studying at UVU because I received my associate degree while in high school from UVSC, and had a really great experience. I decided to stay at UVU, in spite of being accepted to other universities because of scholarship funding, and also because of the great experience I had at UVU (UVSC at the time).

I started out as a nursing major, and through all of the medical and health classes, I really discovered a love for health and life sciences. When I decided that nursing wasn't for me, teaching seemed like the perfect direction to go. I have always had an interest in teaching, and I felt that I could really make a difference in the future health of students if I could somehow instill the importance of healthy living in them.

I also had one good teacher in health teacher in junior high, but all of my health teachers in high school were coaches whom I perceived didn't care about their health students. I decided that it is high time that our students receive a high quality health education backed up by scientific knowledge and a passion for the subject, rather than just simpsons videos and meaningless assignments out of an outdated textbook. (okay, I might be a little bitter...)

I am motivated because I have always been one to only expect excellence from myself. I enjoy setting goals for myself, and I love the satisfaction I receive when I obtain them. I also get satisfaction from high quality work. If I know I have done my best and all that I can, I can be satisfied with a job well done.

I believe that I succeed because I have been blessed to have a very educationally supportive family. Both of my parents are educators, and have worked hard to provide an atmosphere where I could flourish. This feeling of confidence in myself I believe lingers because of the great influence they have also had in my life. Now that I am older and on my own, this great foundation has allowed me to learn how to push myself to success with confidence.

I believe that when I fail, it is because I haven't done all that I can do. I feel that if I fail, I am the one to blame. Perhaps I need to approach the situation from a different direction, or place it as a higher priorety, or simply just try harder. When I do fail, when my initial feeling of dissappointment fades, it is replaced with an increased determination to try again and succeed this time. I guess I approach things as a contest mainly with myself, always improving with each experience.

I believe that I will need to change some of my motivations to become a great teacher in some ways. I know that many students will choose not to embrace my passion for health and science, and in that case, I will need to perhaps find a way to relate to them and motivate myself to help them in spite of any lack of desire on their part.