"Growth" vs "Fixed" Minds

This video podcast from Stanford University discusses the difference of the mindsets of today's students. Carol Dweck, Professor of Psychology and author of Mindset: The New Psychology of Success is being interviewed and starts of by distinguishing the two types of mindsets commonly seen among students. The first mindset she talks about is the "fixed" mindset in which a student believes that intelligence is a fixed trait. With this particular mindset students worry about how they will be viewed by their peers in respect to how intelligent they may appear. Other students believe that intelligence is something that is developed through studying, passion, and education.
Ms. Dweck and her colleagues decided do a study in which they held an eight session workshop. Half of the students that attended the workshop learned study skills and the growth mindset and the other half of the students were just taught study skills. According to Ms. Dweck, the students that were taught the growth mindset soared well above the students that were just taught basic study skills. She also said that teachers could pick out the students that had been taught about the growth mindset. Carol Dweck also discussed how the growth mindset can be utilized in race car driving as well as in a professional environment.
I agree that students should be encouraged in a classroom. I believe that confidence is an important tool for students. I feel very strongly that it is up to educators to help empower students at an early age with confidence. All students need to be aware of their potential and not allowed to believe that they are any less than another student. Knowledge is achievable by all students that are willing to open up and accept what is being offered to them. Confidence is key to an exceptional learning environment and opens the door to a growth mindset!!
View this video.

WGBH Podcasts

Well, I checked out many different podcasts from all grade levels. The first thing that I noticed was that many of them were available at each level. I guess that is appropriate considering that the things we learn are stepping stones that we build upon throughout our entire education. I mean, my second grader is covering the same thing in science that I am learning in Biology 102 right now. How cool is that!! Anyway, I found all of the video podcasts very interesting and informative.

The first podcast that I watched was Why Doesn't the Moon Fall Down. I found this interesting because it explained that the moon is always falling down due to the gravitational pull of the Earth. However, it is so far away from the Earth and falling at such a fast rate of speed that it is constantly falling in a different direction and therefore orbits the Earth. If it was to fall any faster it would actually fly out into outer space and if it were to fall any slower it would in fact fall into the Earth. I liked the animations that were used to give the viewer a visual of the information that was given. I felt that it helped get the concept across to the viewer.

The second podcast that I watched was Infrared: More Than the Eye Can See . Dr. Michelle Thaler explained that everything produces light through temperature. However, all light is not visible light. Light that is not visible is infrared light. Infrared radiation is the measure of

temperature produced by an object. I found it very interesting that infrared light can pass through some objects that visible light can not pass through. Dr. Thaler demonstrated this by putting her arms in a black garbage bag and when the infrared detector was turned on you could clearly see her arms. She also demonstrated that infrared light can not pass through some objects that visible light can pass through such as glass. She gave the audience many different visual demonstrations to back up the information she was providing. I felt that this made the podcast very interesting and easy to follow. Dr. Thaler is an astronomer that is interested in infrared light because she hopes that it will help find new planets in the solar system that do not produce visible light. They now have a Space Infrared Telescope Facility to help them in their endeavors.

Another podcast that I found interesting was Booming Sands. This podcast was about the acoustic phenomenon that happens in 30 different sand dune areas all over the world. It is not fully understood what causes this beautiful acoustical sound but there is a research team from the California Institute of Technology that has made it their mission to find out. So far they believe that it is caused by the height of the slope, change in the surface tension, the grains of sand being the same size, and the degree of mobility of the top loose layer compared to the hard packed layer underneath. Again the visual and sound effects were wonderful bonuses that really helped.

I watched many others that I found very interesting. I think that this would definitely aid in teaching children about the topic that is being covered. The first great thing is that it is free. Second, most classes have a computer in the classroom and this makes it easier for the teacher to access the videos unlike trying to get a t.v. and dvd. Third, it is very interesting and draws the students attention. I will definitely check into using podcasts in my classroom to help demonstrate topics being covered in class.

The Edible School Yard and The Night in the Global Village

Wow!! Words can not explain either of these projects! What wonderful activities to get the children thinking and learning!


The Edible School Yard

The first video podcast that I watched was The Edible School Yard. I was totally blown away and the first thing that came to mind was something that Randy Pausch talked about in his last lecture. He had a term that he used "head fake", which is basically when you gain a skill that you don't even know that you are learning. In this case these children are learning so much but they are having a great time doing it and probably won't even truly grasp the entirety of what they have learned for years to come. The Edible School Yard consists of a 1+ acre garden and kitchen classroom which are basically learning labs where students at Martin Luther King Jr. Middle School in Berkeley, California learn many subjects. Social Studies, Math, Science, and lessons in life are just a few things that are covered. The garden classes teach the principles of Ecology, the origins of food, and respect for all living systems. The students have to learn to work together. They plant beds, amend soil, turn compost, and harvest what they have grown.


In the kitchen, students prepare and eat dishes from the produce they have grown.Daily educational opportunities are designed to integrate culture, history, language, ecology, biology, and other related subject areas into the preparation of the food. The students really seem to enjoy growing, harvesting, preparing, and eating the produce. They also gain a wonderful sense of pride from taking part in the entire process!

The Night in the Global Village

This project which includes students from the Rocky Mountain Expeditionary School in Denver, Colorado was an amazing first hand experience to raise the students awareness on issues like poverty and hunger that is unfortunately a reality in many other countries. The project is made possible by the Global Gateway Program. Students were taken to the Heifer Ranch in Perryville, Arkansas. This is a 5 acre property owned by Heifer International which is a non-profit organization that donates livestock to impoverished families. On the 5 acre property there are areas that are setup to represent living conditions that would be found in places such as Guatemala, Thailand, Zambia, Appalachia, and even a refugee camp. Students are split up into groups and then told where they are going to live for the night and the resources that are readily available to them. No group has everything that would be needed to survive so they are forced to barter with neighboring countries to get everything they need. In addition to the hard conditions one member from each group must also carry around a water balloon in a pouch that represents a baby and another member loses a limb. The refugees had it hardest of all, for they started out with nothing, including not being able to speak at all or build a fire. At times all of the students seemed to experience frustrations about their living conditions. The following day the students got to talk with each other and the adults about the experiences. I think it was an eye opener for all of them to actually experience, even if only for a night, what many experience on a daily basis.

Each of these video podcasts were awesome. What a wonderful way to enforce things that the students are learning. There is no better way for children to learn than to actually experience it for themselves. I would love to be able to give these opportunities to my students. I think that it would be a learning experience that would stay with them for the rest of their lives!!! TRULY AMAZING!!!!!!!!!!!!

Accessibility For All

Mr. Sullivan's presentation about disabilities and how they can affect us as educators was full of helpful information. It was nice to hear some of the laws that are in affect to help and protect people with disabilities. I also enjoyed learning about the software and the equipment that is available to aid people with disabilities and make their lives easier. I found it very interesting that people that use the audio can actually understand what is being said at such a fast rate of speed. It was unbelievable!!!!!!

The information that was presented will help me understand the laws that are in place as well as help me to better understand the resources that are available to help make educating students with disabilities easier. Thank you Mr. Sullivan!!!

Check out Accessibility For All

Alabama Virtual Library

The Alabama Virtual Library, also known as AVL is a wonderful resource for Alabama students, teachers, and citizens. The AVL is online access to library and information resources. Basically it is a website that can be accessed at school or even at home if you obtain a virtual library card. The site has many databases where you can research magazines, journals, and newspaper articles. When searching these databases you can narrow your search by age group, topic, specific database, or particular magazine or journal. Funding for the Alabama Virtual Library is provided by the Alabama Legislature so this a free resource for all.
What a great resource for teachers and students. As an educator you can issue cards to your students so that they can access the AVL. I am sure that as an educator this will be one of many resources that I use in my classroom. Check it out here

WHAT TIME IS IT REALLY????????????????

Podcasts

SmartBoard Lessons was pretty catchy. It starts out with some upbeat music and utilizes various other sound effects. This podcast is hosted by Ben Hazzard and Joan Badger. They both seem to work well together, although I have to admit that at times Mr. Hazzard was very annoying.There were moments when he talked over his co-host and I missed what she was trying to say completely. However, he made some very persuasive arguments about the topic. Otherwise, I did gain some valuable information. SmartBoard Lessons podcast provides lesson ideas and helpful resources that can be found on the web. Their main focus though is the use of interactive white boards in the classroom. They also answered questions from listeners that sent emails.
Kidcast is hosted by Dan Schmit and is a companion to the book that he wrote titled, Podcasting in the Classroom. He is the only host and from what I gathered from listening to episode #53- Podcasting and Fieldtrips, he does his show from a script or at least a detailed outline.
ConnectLearning is hosted by David Warlick. These podcasts unlike the previous two that I have mentioned is more of an interview. I listened to episode 90 and 91. During these two episodes Mr. Warlick was at the North Carolina School Media Association Conference. Basically educators came together and talked about the ways that they thought pocasting could be used in the classroom. This was totally unedited and very informal. The topics that he covers as he travels to different conferences are usually education and teaching in the 21st century classroom.
EdTechtalk is hosted by Maria Knee. She is a kindergarten teacher in Deerfield, NH. Ms. Knee has guests join her to talk about different topics of interests and they are able to share with listeners their thoughts on the subject. The interesting thing about this podcast is that listeners can skype in to comment or ask questions. They can also participate from a chat room. I found that very interesting!
MacBreak Weekly is more of a roundtable discussion. Something more like you would experience with Meet the Press. There are several hosts and also have guests that join them. The topic of this podcast is the latest Mac news, such as new products, software, stock information,and much more.
The last podcast, This Week in Photography, is hosted by Alex Lindsay and Scott Bourne. They also feature guests that come on and talk about (you guessed it) everything photography.Topics cover technology, new products, techniques, and the latest photography news.
There are many podcasts that cover an array of topics. You can find one on just about any subject. I think that this would be a great tool to use in the classroom, especially middle school and high school. There are endless possibilities with technology. There are so many resources that are available to teachers, parents, and students!!!!!What an exciting time to be an educator!!!!

Achieving Your Childhood Dreams

Wow!! What a truly inspiring lecture! Randy Pausch, a computer science professor at Carnegie Mellon University gave the last lecture before a packed auditorium of his colleagues and students but unlike those that preceded him this was truly his last lecture. He made clear the things that he was not going to address in his speech, which included cancer, his family, and religion. However, he did go on to tell about his childhood dreams, which he managed to accomplish in his own rite, but not without some setbacks. In response to these setbacks he repeated several times throughout this lecture that "Brick walls are there for a reason. They let us prove how bad we want things." I think that he just shows that if you want something bad enough and you work hard enough to get it, nothing is out of reach. What a great thing to teach our children!!

Another thing that he went on to address in his speech was enabling the dreams of others. He believed that was more rewarding than fulfilling his own dreams. He believed in giving his students freedom to explore their ideas as well as not setting the bar. He also gave his students feedback and encouraged them to not make excuses. He wanted them to learn from the advice they were given.

Mr. Pausch also believed that you should have fun while learning. He had a term "head fake" which is basically when you gain other skills through doing a task without even realizing it. He also took his classes on field-trips. This allowed them to see things that they were learning being utilized in the field. I truly believe that he enjoyed what he did and loved sharing his enthusiasm with his students. It is refreshing to see an instructor that loved what he did!

His entire speech was filled with life lessons that he had learned from others and through experience. It was very inspiring and for me very emotional. Here is a man with the odds against him and he still manages to inspire others with a wonderful sense of humor. In the end he asked the audience if they had figured out the "head fake", which he responded, "this talk is not about how to achieve your dreams, it's about how to lead your life!" In the end he also revealed that the speech was really for his children, just another "head fake"!

What a beautiful thing for him to leave for his kids!!!!!