Resource Log 7 What is the Hegelian Dialectic?

What is the Hegelian Dialectic?

Raapana, N., & Friedrich, N. (2005, October). What is the Hegelian Dialectic? [Article]. Retrieved January 28, 2009, from http://nord.twu.net/acl/standfor.html

This webpage helped me understand just what Hegelian Dialectic is. This is one of the terms I needed to define for my wikibook assignment.

Resource Log 6: Herbert Spencer

I have been researching information about Herbert Spencer as part of my wiki book assignment for this class. In my journey I have found that figuring out Spencer's stance on Constructivism is not an easy find. So I choose to watch a short video on you-tube about Spencer and it is called "Defending Spencer and Social Evolution." If you have any interest in watching this the video is about 6 minutes long and I feel for the most part worth checking out. It helped me understand a little more about Spencer. I of course have done some research on him so I am pretty sure this video is not a bunch of bull. I could be wrong though but hopefully not.


Defending Spencer and Social Evolution. (2008). Brainpolice2. Retrieved January 28, 2009, from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kZViKOPhvDs

Resouce Log 5: Constructivist Teaching with Technology Blog

Constructivist Teaching with Technology: Learning with Laptops Blog Spot

This blog was created by Karl Fisch and he constructed a seminar for teachers to learn how to transfrom some of their traditions teachings into a more student centered learning approach. Some of his objectives are to have teachers from all content areas using new methods of learningthrough technology such as blogging reflections instead of journaling in a notebook. His ideas are interesting and I think this would be the type of in service teachers would benefit from.

http://fischnecc07.blogspot.com/

Fisch, K. (2007, June 26). Constructivist Teaching with Technology: Learning with Laptops . Message posted to http://fischnecc07.blogspot.com/

Reflections Journal 2

After two weeks of being in this class I really feel I am starting to get the hang of what it is I am supposed to be doing. It takes some of us longer than others. I think this is one of the things that makes me the teacher I am. I have a lot of patience with my students because I just like them sometimes need extra guidance and understanding when learning new tasks.
The sandbox which was foreign to me the first week is now a place I understand. I think it is great that we Can post our notes and ideas in this spot for the creation of our wiki book post. It is good to see what my classmates are finding as well.
I am still a little nervous about out wikibook posting next week. I hope the research done by my team will provide a thorough explanation of the difference between essentialism and humanism.
I found it really interesting to research some of the theorists. I am most interested in Maria Montessori. I have been looking at the different learning facilities here in the Saint Louis area. I find her learning theories to be quite interesting. I like how she believes children need to learn from their own and environment. That learning should not be forced but done by the curiosity and will of the child. I like the idea of putting children in a classroom full of discoveries and letting them sort through the different stations to learn.
These ideas will be summarized in part of the wiki posting next week.

Resource Log 4: Noodle Tools

I know Webster University uses APA format for citations on information we use in our work. I found a GREAT webpage to help people formulate citations on the web. It has been very helpful to me in other classes and I thought I would share it with others. Noodle Tools is the webpage but if you want to create a quick citation you need to go to Noodle Bib Express. The website can also formulate citations in MLA or Chicago style of you are interested but you will not need those for this class. Hope this helps my fellow classmates!



P.S. I hope no one else has posted this resource yet. I looked at many blogs and did not see it but if you have sorry :(.

Abilock, D., & Abilock, D. (2002). Noodle Bib Express. In Noodle Tools. Retrieved January 24, 2009, from http://www.noodletools.com/about/index.php

Resource Log 3: Maria Montessori

I found a bunch of interesting video clips about Dr. Montessori created by Davidson Videos on the web. I watched a few of them to better understand who she is and what she stood for. I knew she was connected to constructivism because she is one of the theorists I am researching for my wiki text assignment. Dr. Montessori has some very interesting beliefs about learning. She believes learning should not be forces or motivated that children should be curious and want to learn on their own or at their own pace. Anyway I though I would share this site with everyone. The vidoes are short and interesting.

Davidson Videos. (2006). Life and Legacy. Maria Montessori. Retrieved January 23, 2009, from http://vodpod.com/watch/1128974-maria-montessori-davidson-

Resource Log 2 Funderstanding

Funderstanding is a webpage I found that uses data found from analysing people in thier natural environment to create educational software for children. PBS and many other companies use products created by funderstanding. This company uses theories based on constructivism to create thier software. There is some interesting information of the site about how children learn and it even includes the fundamentals of what constructivism is to learning. The only down fall is the website is kind of a mess. It is underreconstuction or at least I hope it is. They are marketing thier learning management systems to many different school environments.

This website is driving at changing the way we educate our students by utilizing what technology has to offer. It even talks about how our school systems are still based around the era of the Induistrial Reveolution. I don't think this is entirely true but some school settings are more old fashioned than others. This is often due to lack of funding in the school.
Either way I found the website intersting.

Funderstanding. (2008). Constructivism. Retrieved on Jan 21, 2008. http://www.funderstanding.com/content/constructivism

Discussion Questions

What is your reaction to this course overview?
I am feeling a little overwhelmed by some of the new tools we are using in this course. I am always a little spastic at the beginning of a new class because I am fearful of the unknown.



How do you feel about a 100% constructivist and collaborative course like this?
It is different and it may take some getting use to but it will be a great learning experience I'm sure and that it the reason I am here. I am looking forward to the course challenges and the opportunity to give my own teaching style a new dynamic.



How do you feel about publishing your learning on wiki's and blogs?
I like using a blog to talk about my learning adventurers. Hopefully everyone in the class will appreciate and enjoy my responses. I do have to admit I may feel a little self consious at times letting everyone see my posts and ideas. Somtimes I feel like my responses are inferior to my classmates. This of course gives me a good challenge to better my responses and create bettering postings and ideas.

Reflections Journal 1: I am Confused

I am excited to be in a class about Technology and Constructivism but at the same time the format of this class is very confusing to me. I feel there are so many different learning activities going on at once. I am still confused about Google Docs? What is the Sandbox? I must be missing something here. Also do we have discussion questions we should be answering of so how do I find them? The only ideas I am understanding at this point are the journals and the resource blogs. I hope I am not the only one. I also feel I need a calender to guide me in an online class. Again I hope I am not the only one. I am excited to be in this course it just may take me a week or two to work out the kinks and all of my confusions.
Any insight?

Resource Journal 1 Concept to Classroom :)

I recently visited a website called "Concept to Classroom" that I believe gives educators a great way to incorporate the philosophy of constructivism and the use of technology in the classroom. This webpage gives educators good ideas for lessons in any grade level or subject. Example, many teachers like to begin new ideas or learning objectives with graphic organizers. This site suggests using a software called inspiration. Inspiration is a great computerized graphic organizer with lots of color to keep you students attention. Great tool for interacting with and entire or class or it can be a group project either way the students get involved during the learning process. I love this software. The site also features other ideas this is just one of them.

This link also gives the reader a good explanation of what Constructivism means which I thought was helpful. What do you think?
http://www.thirteen.org/edonline/concept2class/constructivism/explor_sub5.html

Welcome to my Blog

This site will be used to combine constructivism theories and technology for my Culinary Arts teaching.