Possible Effects of Internet Use on the Adolescent Brain

Hello everyone! My name is Ashley Watts and I will be leading our weekly discussion. This week we will be reading chapters three and four from the book, The Art of Changing the Brain. These chapters discuss brain connections and motivation of the learner. Along with reading these chapters, you will also need to read the article on possible effects of the Internet on the adolescent brain. This article, along with a review of the article, can be found on Moodle. Below are some topics for discussion. I am looking forward to hearing from everyone!

1. Before reading the article, what were your thoughts on how the Internet impacted adolescents in the classroom?

2. Did your thoughts change after reading the article? If so, in what way(s)?

3. In chapter 8 of Zadina’s book, she discusses how technology is rewiring the adolescent brain. Some ways positive, some negative. It is stated that learning games can be motivating, but multitasking can impair learning. How would you create an equal balance among your students?

4. In chapter four of The Art of Changing the Brain, Zull discusses motivation. He states that extrinsic motivation is usually aimed at the wrong target and intrinsic motivation leads to learning being the reward. Do you think the use of the Internet in learning motivates the students extrinsically or intrinsically? Have you seen examples of these types of motivation in your own classroom?

The Physical Classroom Environment

Hi Class, My name is Katy and I will be your discussion leader for the week.

This week we are wrapping up our Zadina text by taking a step back and looking at the big picture. Zadina includes a small section in which she discusses the physical environment of a school, specifically students feeling safe and relaxed in their school environment. This piqued my interest. I teach at a school where the heating and cooling system is so old that it takes 2 days to turn on or off the boiler system, so those two days in early March where it was 80 degrees on Wednesday and 40 degrees on Thursday, the physical environment (hot and sticky) truly impacted my students ability to concentrate. When looking more into classroom environment I found a lot of literature on classroom environment in terms of classroom culture, but very little on the physical environment. This surprised me. I know that I get a “feel” for a class and a teacher just by walking in the room, even when no one is present.

I have submitted two articles and a youtube video for you all to enjoy this week. I am excited to get this conversation going.

This week I would love to hear your thoughts on:

1. What pre-service training (in college or certification program) or support from your school did you receive concerning your physical classroom environment?

2. My first year teaching I rearranged my classroom 3-4 times the first semester… what mistakes did you make with your environment and what have you learned? Or, if you are not in the classroom, describe some really great or poor examples of classroom environment?

3. Based on your readings this week, what is one thing you might like to try this year, next year, or when you are in the classroom, in terms of your classroom’s physical environment?

Is online learning social?

This week's discussion about the importance of social interaction for learning makes me think about online learning. Do you think of online learning in your online class as social? What do you think?

The Importance of the Arts on the Brain and Achievement

Hi, all!  I'm extremely excited about leading this week's discussion! Please refer to the Microsoft Word document attached to the Week 8 Section of Moodle. You will also find a video there of my review of resources in lieu of a Powerpoint.  I will post the links and questions here as well, as it will be easier than going back and forth.  

 http://arts.gov/sites/default/files/Arts-At-Risk-Youth.pdf

-Did any statistics surprise you? 

-For those of you that have arts programs at schools where you teach, have you seen evidence of arts-involvement benefits in students?  If you are not currently teaching, perhaps you attended schools where the arts were prevalent.   Thinking back, can you remember any evidence from the primary or secondary grades showing benefits of arts involvement?

-For those of you who do not have arts programs in schools, do you see a distinct need for them?

http://artsedge.kennedy-center.org/multimedia/series/VideoStories/diane-ravitch.aspx

-Diane Ravitch states “The Arts Are Experience.” In Chapter 2 of The Art of Changing The Brain, Dr. James Zull cites Dr. David Kolb’s book, Experiential Learning and the concept of the learning cycle.  In thinking about experiential learning, how can the arts “be experience?”

-What solution(s) can you propose to the problem that most low SES schools are facing in the loss of arts programs?

http://www.dana.org/publications/reportdetails.aspx?id=44249

-Based on this research, what are the implications for educators?

I can't wait to watch our discussion grow!

-Jamie Hipp

FOCUS: Learning Strategy for Students with ADHD

Hello everyone I am Morgan and I will be leading discussion this week!

This week I wanted to extend our previous discussion on chapter 5 about listening and memory. My background is in special education but I have also taught in the classroom as a general education teacher. I wanted to find a topic that most, if not all teachers could relate to and that is teaching students with ADHD. 

I found this article about a learning strategy developed to teach listening skills to students with ADHD. The name of the strategy is called FOCUS and the article can be found on moodle. The article states that FOCUS teaches students to become active listeners to improve learning, but I saw it as more of a way to teach students how to focus their attention in the classroom. What were your thoughts?

I have posted a powerpoint and TED talk on moodle as well as the article. The TED talk gives a different perspective of ADHD and how students can use this to their advantage. 

• After reading about this specific learning strategy, would this be something you might consider using in your classroom? Why? Why not?
• After watching the TED talk video on ADHD did your perception of ADHD change? 
• What other strategies do you use in your classroom to engage students who struggle with inattentiveness or hyperactivity-impulsivity to improve attention and working memory? 
• Addition thoughts about the article or TED talk. 

I understand it, I know it- but I can't say it

This week we are talking about language and math pathways. Zadina talks about students that struggle with issues such as knowing information, but are unable to say it or pronounce a sound or have trouble remembering math formulas. Have you had an experience with a student that has exhibited a problem discussed in the chapter? How did the student behave? What id you believe the problem to be at the time? How did you address it then? What would you do differently now?

Standardized Testing and Working Memory

Janet Zadina made a post just this week on her Facebook page. She linked to the following and made this comment: 'Many of the questions are actually testing working memory, rather than rote or long term memory-knowledge. This is a problem. Deficits in working memory are associated with poverty achievement gap, as well as other situations. So the tests are not measuring what they purport to measure." http://www.pbs.org/newshour/rundown/ar-buds-computers-needed-new-standardized-tests/?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=pbsofficial&utm_campaign=newshour

What are your thoughts, based on what you have learned so far?