C4T #1

Hacking The Classroom

Howard Rheingold's blog "Hacking the classroom" is about beating the obstacles of technology. It's also about putting meaning into the classroom every day. Giving the students something to learn from, while creating a bigger picture that will engage them in learning. Using physical skills improves their fine and gross motor skills, excelling them towards a higher grader level. Instead of coasting by in school, you advance to another grade while obtaining all of the knowledge from the previous lessons learned. Teachers want their students to enjoy learning the things they are teaching in the classroom. They want it to be fun and for the kids to really get something out of and carry it on with them. What you come out of the class with is how you advance grade to grade. It furthers you in your education. Even if you're going into first grade or your junior year in college.

In Rheingold's newest blog post, Making A Stance Towards Learning, he talks about a more productive way to learn than mindless worksheets. A more hands on teaching method allows for students to really learn, specially if they share an interest in the subject. This hands on method is called "tinkering". He says take a chance with tinkering in the classroom, even if you don't know everything about it. It's beneficial to students to just mess with the material before you through all of the facts in their face. Just because student's tinker does not mean that the role of a teacher becomes less important. By letting them discover things on their own and the teacher being there for guidance, students can really learn.