C4T #1

Learning Out Loud - Jennifer Brokofsky

"Who dares to teach must never cease to learn."- John Cotton Dana is the welcoming quote to Jennifer Brokofsky's blog Learning Out Loud. From my time exploring her blog, it is evident that Ms. Brokofsky holds this quote dear to her heart, especially as an educator. Each of Ms. Brokofsky's posts are filled with information and invaluable learning tools and techniques that would benefit any teacher of any grade. I feel Ms. Brokofsky to be an outstanding example of how a teacher should constantly explore new and innovative ways to reach his or her students in an attempt to make their learning as successful as possible.

"Building a Culture of Wonder: Inquiry in Primary Education"

Jennifer was right on target at the beginning of her post "Building a Culture of Wonder: Inquiry in Primary Education". From the moment children learn to speak, "why?" tends to be the #1 question on the tip of their tongue. Why this? Why that? It's more than obvious that children are filled with curiosity, wonder, and imagination, so why not harness that passionate pursuit of knowledge in the classroom? Ms. Brokofsky does just that through her "Wonder Wall". The "wonder wall" is "a place where group questions can be modeled, recorded, shared, and encouraged". Basically, if a student has a question, he or she can place it on the "wonder wall" to be answered at some point by either him or herself, or another student. Through the implementation of other accompanying "wonder" themes such as the "Wonder of the Week", "Wonder Words", and "Wonder Centers", this desire to learn is nurtured, encouraged, and praised on a daily basis, ultimately encouraging the students' desires to learn.

What Do I Take From This?: While I'm not a teacher yet, I can definitely imagine all the questions that a teacher must be asked throughout the course of the day, especially by the much younger kids. I thought the "Wonder Wall" and it's parts to be a great way to channel that inquisitive energy. What better way to get children learning than by fueling that desire to learn? If students don't ask questions, they'll never get answers. The "Wonder Wall" would be a great way to utilize inquiry based lessons into all lessons I would teach.

My Comment to Jennifer Brokofsky's Post "Building a Culture of Wonder: Inquiry in Primary Education" I commented on Jennifer Brokofsky's blog post "Building a Culture of Wonder: Inquiry in Primary Education". In my comment, I introduced myself and I expressed to Ms. Brokofsky how I loved the idea of a "Wonder Wall". I told her how I feel that anything that can increase a student's desire to learn and encourage that learning is always something to be treasured. I also told her that using "Wonder Words" to get minds in gear, along with having a center dedicated to piquing student's curiosity, sounded like the makings of a classroom that facilitates an active learning environment that would help to instill a desire to learn. I'm hoping to get a response from her soon!

Jennifer Brokofsky's Response to My Comment on "Building a Culture of Wonder: Inquiry in Primary Education": I did not receive a reply from Ms. Brokofsky to my comment left on her blog post, but I am still hoping to see any other replies to comments she might have.

"Three Act Math Movies: Candy Colours"

The post "Three Act Math Movies: Candy Colours" provided teachers a method of introduction for their students to the mathematical concept of Equality. The "Three Act MathVideo Design" was by Jennifer Brokofsky and Ryan Banow. This lesson design was constructed for Grade 2, but can also be expanded upon for Grade 4. The math problem is in a series of acts: Act 1 - The Problem, Act 2 - Classroom Connections, and Act 3 - The Solution. Act 1 and Act 3 are represented by a video demonstration by children with a brief explanation accompanying it, with Act 2 revolving around the classroom students' attempt to solve the problem. Act 1, "The Problem", begins with "two children are trying to share candies equally. However, they only like to eat certain colours". After watching the two accompanying videos, Ms. Brokofsky provides "key questions" that should be asked. Act 2, "Classroom Connections", begins with Ms. Brokofsky once again providing the "key questions" that should pop into the students' minds. She also provides a list of materials that students may need to to solve the problem "hands-on", while also giving possible equations to go about solving the problem. Act 3, "The Solution", begins with a video showing the solution to the math problem.

What Do I Take From This?: I have always valued "hands-on" types of learning. When a teacher can put a physical representation of a problem in to the hands of his or her students, those students can better understand the problem presented to them. I would implement this design plan to my classroom, not only giving students the candies to actually "see" the math happen, but I would also play the videos relating to the problem as well. While this is a great method for teaching equality in mathematical terms, can go beyond the academic world as well. Teaching children to also be kind to others and to share with others are also important skills that should be taught as well.

My Comment to Ms. Brokofsky's Post "Three Act Math Movies: Candy Colours": I commented on Ms. Brokofsky's post "Three Act Math Movies: Candy Colours". Once again, I introduced myself and also stated that I had commented on another one of her posts. I explained to her how I feel that students can learn very much through "hands-on" activities, especially when those activities require them to learn more than just "the facts". I also told Ms. Brokofsky that teaching children to learn and work collaboratively with one another should be a must in the classroom. If students are unable to work together when they are young, the cooperative skills will be sorely lacking when they get older.

Ms. Brokofsky's Response to My Comment on "Three Act Math Movies: Candy Colours": I have not received a reply to my comment on Ms. Brokofsky's post "Three Act Math Movies: Candy Colours.