tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2620973967926891777.post6245970797215097804..comments2024-02-15T18:42:14.278+11:00Comments on Minecraft EduElfie: Why am I teaching this?EduElfiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13980519088982979763noreply@blogger.comBlogger7125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2620973967926891777.post-63501853341093585512013-03-06T23:32:29.064+11:002013-03-06T23:32:29.064+11:00Hi Knape, I will certainly keep updates coming whe...Hi Knape, I will certainly keep updates coming when they are available, and I think having access to a 3d printer will open up a fair few possibilities for this particular (and many other) student(s) in schools around the world.EduElfiehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13980519088982979763noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2620973967926891777.post-45447111680155561712013-03-06T23:30:44.419+11:002013-03-06T23:30:44.419+11:00Hi KelticAngel, thanks for leaving a comment. My f...Hi KelticAngel, thanks for leaving a comment. My first feeling when reading your comment was depression, but putting that aside you make some very valid points, I should be doing all I can to help this (and all my) student(s) reach their goals, my new concern is brought up in my new post, the curriculum is a tool to use to help me work out what to teach students. But what do I do when the curriculum is 5 years above the level that the student is working at?<br /><br />"Our only job, as educators, is to teach the curriculum in such a way as to build up life-long skills (like critical thinking) in our students. It is not our problem that government assessments often do not accurately assess what they are meant to assess. It is not our fault that those government assessments don't provide or make allowance for all the resources the student actually needs to show what he/she is capable of."<br /><br />I really find this comment very confronting. Is that really our only job, to teach to the curriculum, as if that is the case I think I am in the wrong profession. I think our job is much more than that. Our job is to enable students to become socially functioning members of society, and yes critical thinking is an important part of this, but is geometry? I could think of much easier ways to teach critical thinking to my students, as well as many other life skills that they would find more useful then knowing how to calculate the area of a circle.<br /><br />And if it is not our problem that the government assesses students in a way that is not beneficial, then who does that problem belong to? If we as educators just blindly follow and do not critically think about what we do, then in my opinion we should not be teaching. As I think it is these thought processes that lead to improvement in practice, innovation and a better outcome for students.<br /><br />Thanks heaps for your suggestion also, that is a very good idea.EduElfiehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13980519088982979763noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2620973967926891777.post-43049363866579857172013-03-06T23:19:10.535+11:002013-03-06T23:19:10.535+11:00Hi Diane, thanks for taking the time to reply. The...Hi Diane, thanks for taking the time to reply. The models worked great and your thoughts about 'teaching to the test' are valid. Now to just keep plugging away and trying my best to help this student achieve their long term goals.EduElfiehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13980519088982979763noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2620973967926891777.post-4945926785881824432013-03-06T10:38:13.828+11:002013-03-06T10:38:13.828+11:00I work at a Pre-K to 9 school which supports all t...I work at a Pre-K to 9 school which supports all the special needs students in the northern half of our province. This means we have a higher number of special needs students integrated into our "regular Ed" classes as well as many district run programs housed in our building. It also means we have access to occupational and physical therapy, speech and language pathologists, child psychologists, and specialists for the hearing impaired. I tell you this so that you know I am very familiar with the very same issue. <br /><br />We have an academic support position at our school, her job is to individualize student strategies and supports and work with the teachers to implement those supports. One of her most common dilemmas is what to do with students who are capable with support, but are not provided that support for government exams. Her advice has always been to teach the curriculum, period. Do whatever it takes, use whatever means possible, to help that child understand the concepts and build on the skills outlined in the curriculum. Our only job, as educators, is to teach the curriculum in such a way as to build up life-long skills (like critical thinking) in our students. It is not our problem that government assessments often do not accurately assess what they are meant to assess. It is not our fault that those government assessments don't provide or make allowance for all the resources the student actually needs to show what he/she is capable of. <br /><br />In my opinion, your first hunch was correct. I think it's fabulous that you can bring an extra level of understanding to your student because of your access to a 3D printer. In fact, I'm a little jealous. That would be such an asset! The more exposure your student has to creative ways of tackling tasks (like your 3D printing for his maths), the more tools he will have in his brain for the future. <br /><br />As a suggestion, perhaps condense your anecdotal evidence of his understanding and bring it, and your concerns, to your administration. Perhaps, with the extra time before his graduating year, something could be put in place for him. Perhaps a letter could be written with an explanation of his abilities to accompany his exam, or accompany him to his post-secondary pursuits. KelticAngelhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04176203569134021414noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2620973967926891777.post-43397565707244689622013-03-06T08:06:40.934+11:002013-03-06T08:06:40.934+11:00This sounds really interesting to me because I'...This sounds really interesting to me because I'm doing a project on how to aid blind students with 3D-printing in school. I think that if you could help him to understand geometry with objects it's good and maybe he gets it and can learn how to do it with out them with some training. <br />I haven't started the practical stuff so i don't have any ideas for you yet. But please write more about this if you have any progress. <br />knapehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00775715454081881786noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2620973967926891777.post-35248794516501832392013-03-06T05:58:07.863+11:002013-03-06T05:58:07.863+11:00"for whom" (not "for who")"for whom" (not "for who")Diane E. Main, GCT NorCal 2006https://www.blogger.com/profile/01604373649158850063noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2620973967926891777.post-50384536466777457392013-03-06T05:56:46.525+11:002013-03-06T05:56:46.525+11:00Elfie,
I love this, and while I was reading I fou...Elfie,<br /><br />I love this, and while I was reading I found myself asking "why don't you give him solids to feel and manipulate so he can better understand the shapes?"<br /><br />And then you did.<br /><br />I, like you, am struggling with this issue of how and why he will need to do this on a final test. You actually used the phrase "the shapes he sees for his final exams." Will he SEE them? Is he being forced to take traditional exams despite his inability to visually perceive them? Does he have any vision at all? How on earth can they expect this student to take a traditionally administered exam? That's a bit like screaming at a person in a wheelchair to get up and run faster, isn't it?<br /><br />I am frustrated by the teaching to the test that happens all over, especially for those topics that will not be a crucial part of the learner's future life. I understand that a well-rounded education is essential, but are scores on tests really going to guarantee that? And what about students for who the test cannot measure their learning simply because they cannot perform the test in its given format?<br /><br />I am especially frustrated by this because while my son has no major learning differences or diagnosed learning disabilities, and all his senses work just fine (it would seem), he does do poorly on tests due to some documented learning issues: limited short-term visual memory and poor visuomotor coordination. You want to make my kid feel stupid? Make him take a written test. On anything. He generally gets things wrong even when he knows the answers.<br /><br />I think that to help your student experience the geometry through tactile models is a wonderful idea. And someone should point out to the people requiring him to take a written test with visuals he can't see that they're asking him to do something the rest of the students would have to be blindfolded to make the playing field level.Diane E. Main, GCT NorCal 2006https://www.blogger.com/profile/01604373649158850063noreply@blogger.com