DISQUS

KirstenWinkler · 8 months ago

Good post captain. Will try to get on board for tomorrow's lesson :).

koichi · 8 months ago

It's a life changing class, and starts in less than an hour!

Melissa_K · 8 months ago

In terms of lessons...I remember last year, in seventh grade, my science teacher showed us the difference between different kinds of gases by lighting them in a florescent bulb. And this in Science class, one class period makes a movie on the subject the other classes are learning about traditionally. We were the first to do this, and it was really fun.

But one thing I remember the most, not really related to how a lesson is taught, but anyways, was that in fourth grade my teacher made a point system. So if you received a certain amount of points on each assignment depending on what grade you got on it. Then at the end of the month she opened up TIAS-The Incredible Award Store ( we voted on the name....it was my idea...:B ANYWAYS) and you could spend your points on things there. That was really cool, it made me want to get good grades.

Deas · 8 months ago

My high school physics teacher worked us into the tests and homework worksheets, creating totally ridiculous word problems not unlike this one. I loved it. Flashbulbs in class are probably better than flashbulbs on a test, though, huh?

mapachita · 8 months ago

well, i don't really get that thing of the lightbulbs, but i do understand your point about making things bizarre to teach xD When i was in high school, my history teacher used to be very funny when he did his classes, so everybody, even the history-haters, loved it. As I am studying pedagogy, i want to be weird to teach, because is super effective ^^
And I don't want to be boring and evil english teacher! Ooooh noes!

Mrwindupbird · 8 months ago

I can't wait to use the making things weird technique! Good read.

Ympa · 7 months ago

One thing about the making things weird technique, is that it can go a bit too far (sometimes the point gets lost), and doesn't necessarily suit shy students. I had a couple of teachers at school who liked to make the lessons crazy, and honestly, I hated it. I was really frustrated by the TEACHER, of all people, messing around in my lesson, when I could have just read the textbook and got the information faster and more efficiently. Enthusiasm for the material itself maybe does more than anything else - if you treat it like it's interesting (and thus not in need of adding to, other than helps illustrate it), I've found students tend to believe you.
This is not to say its a bad idea - I still remember the (rude) mnemonic my Biology teacher taught us to help us remember KPCOFGS, and what it really stands for (Kingdom, Phylum, Class, Order, Family, Genus, Species). Just watch ya don't overdo it. : )

Interesting site, btw. I hope to teach professionally myself, and new technology just has so much potential. It might be a while coming, but I'm sure education will be very different in the future.