What Kindergartners Need to Know

The article by Kate N. Grossman on what every kindergarten student should know focuses on the points of teacher training and the new changes that have been taking place regarding state standards. The subject areas that kindergarten students need to be involved with include language arts, math, science, social science, physical development and health, fine arts, foreign language, and social/emotional development. This appears to be a lot for a teacher to cover in a years time. It used to be that the subjects were math, science, social studies, reading, and spelling. States are now wanting teachers to focus on a child's development emotionally and physically. However, these areas will allow teachers to organize and plan accordingly, knowing that they have to cover these areas. Teachers are being trained on how to successfully teach these new skills to their class. One example that Kate uses in her article is one where you have children point to pictures in a book and have them retell the story. This is a way that you know that the child understands that the pictures and symbols have meaning to that story. By creating these standards, I think that teachers will now share a common ground and will be able to teach children from across states the same material and in a similar fashion.

Images in Education Lesson

This picture of a cow could be used for a language arts lesson for a first grade classroom. I would make a print out with this picture followed by lines that the children would write on. The children would use this as one of their journal entries. They would use this picture as a prompt for a creative writing story. The children would have to write a story while including this cow by giving it a name, location, and/or any characteristics it may have. When the children are done writing their story, they would then share what they have written with the class. This exercise could introduce a unit on farm animals. After the children are done sharing the stories, I could read the book "Click, Clack, Moo: Cows That Type" by Doreen Cronin.

My Teaching Philosophy

Some words that summarize my teaching philosophy:

• Cooperative Learning
• Inspire
• Safe environment
  

Post #2: Gardner, Bloom, & Dale

Howard Gardner’s theory of multiple intelligences consists of eight different areas that suggest how students learn. The intelligences include linguistic, logical-mathematical, spatial, bodily-kinesthetic, musical, interpersonal, intrapersonal, and naturalist which account for a broader range of human potential in adults and children. This theory suggests that in order to have successful student learning, teachers must present information in a variety of ways to include everyone.

Gardner’s multiple intelligences supports technology integration for learning in an early elementary classroom by incorporating different programs on computers that directly relate to each area of intelligence. However, his theory can detract from integration if the technology is not set up in a sufficient way. The teacher has to do research and find the best programs that will work best with each intelligence or the integration can be confusing and difficult.

Bloom’s taxonomy says that there are three types of learning including cognitive, affective, and psychomotor. This taxonomy of learning behaviors can be though of as “the goals of the training process” and when the training session is competed, the learner should have acquired new skills, knowledge, and attitudes. This theory can assist teachers in encouraging student learning by viewing it as stairway where each step leads you to a higher level of thought.

Bloom’s theory supports technology integration for learning in an early elementary classroom by developing Information and Communication Technology which starts off using computers to simply store or display material for students to use and then moving to the highest taxonomic level where students synthesize material to construct projects or presentations. The way that this integration can detract from learning is not allowing students to learn in a meaningful because they are not learning on their own but through the use of technology.

Dale’s Cone of Experience is based on the relationships of various educational experiences to reality, and the bottom level of the cone represents reality or the closest things to real, everyday life. The Cone begins with motor skills and attitudes, then moves up to cognitive skills, followed by information which represents the highest level of abstraction. The opportunity for a learner to use a variety or several senses is considered in the cone and the further you move up the cone, the fewer senses are involved at each level. Teachers can now make decisions about resources or activities by asking several questions about the potential value of a resource to student learning.

Dale’s Cone of Experience supports technology integration for learning in an early elementary classroom by incorporating computers. This will actively engage the learner who uses seeing, hearing, and physical activity at the keyboard as well as a range of mental skills. The use of computers could detract from technology integration because teachers could rely too heavily on the Web and not all resources found on the Web are valuable.

These three theories support Type I, II, and III uses of technology because they all incorporate software that supports the objectives of each theory. The theories include software such as Word Processing, Searching, and different programs that support the learning activities that are present. Finally, if each theory integrates the use of technology correctly, the computer can be used as a tool to solve problems that students may have.