Journal Entry #1

Initial Project Thoughts:

I don’t have a definite topic chosen at this point for my final project.  Looking at the number of project examples helped me to better understand what the final project should look like.  However, some examples like “Broken Co-Worker” and “Accident Investigation Demo” seem to be well-developed, while others seemed to be almost incomplete.  That kind of left me wondering, how technical and extensive does our final project need to be?  Knowing this can help me to choose a topic.

As of now, I have two project topics in mind: 

• A tutorial for teachers on how to create a STEM unit.
• A math tutorial for students for adding and subtracting fractions with unlike denominators.

STEM is the new buzz word in education.  President Obama addressed the importance of it by stating, “We need to make this a priority to train an army of new teachers in these subject areas, and to make sure that all of us are lifting up these subjects for the respect that they deserve.”  I am on the STEM Vertical Team at my school, and we have to train our teachers as STEM is becoming mandatory school-wide.  This project could be a way for me to create an interactive experience for STEM training that the teachers can refer to.  I am also considering the math tutorial for adding and subtracting fractions with unlike denominators because it’s a skill some of the students struggle with.

 

“Situating Constructionism” and Design Basics Index (pages 8-77)

            Honestly, Papert’s reading was a little difficult for me the first time and I had to re-read it.  The 5 Finger Rule that elementary teachers tell their students for choosing “just right books” came to mind as I was reading it. I think the Constructionist approach described by Papert lends itself really well to the STEM style approach to teaching and learning.  One can definitely see the students “learning-by-making” in the hands-on approach of STEM.  This coincides with Papert’s belief that people who build their own “structures” excel in constructionism.  

            One of the more intriguing aspects I got out of the Design Basics Index reading for this week was the Principles of Unequal Spacing concept.  Thinking back on how I’ve designed some slides for teaching my students as well as some of the presentations I’ve done for colleagues, I didn’t take into account this principle.  The idea of “placing the dividing elements in positions other than dead-center” is something that I’ve actually done the opposite of.  I personally have designed slides very symmetrical, but I see now after the reading that this isn’t the most dynamic and eye-catching form of design.  As a visual learner, I like how Krause shows both good and bad examples of the principles he is describing in the book.