Ken Robinson Says Schools Kill Creativity Post #11

TED Talk

I think Ken is right. I think schools do tell children to calm down and that that sometimes keep children from possibly growing and becoming something that they could. I also think kids should be given outlets to use their creativity. I feel like he hits the nail on the head when he talks about how once we reach a certain age that schools only teach us from the waist up and then later only focus on the head and brain. He is so right when he says that we don't grow into creativity, rather out of it. I feel like this may happen to many children in our schools, because the artsy ones who doodle, or can't sit still are "taught out" of these behaviors; therefore, hindering (or killing) their creativity.

John Hunter's World Peace Game Post #10

TED Talk 
1) When Hunter says he is "standing on the shoulders of many people" he means that many people have helped him get to where he is today. He said he could remember different parts of the people that helped shaped him and he is lifted to where he is by how they taught him and got him there.

2) Hunter used the game to engage multiple types of learners. The game allowed him to reach his hands-on learners because they could use the game-board and listeners could hear other ideas and the visual learners could see what was going on.

3) Some of the positions the children played were Prime Minister, Weather goddess (controlled stocks/weather), People of Peace Positions, saboteur, etc.

4) John Hunter's role was to be the F... and he had to relinquish power to his students.

5) Writing the condolence letters allowed the students to have to take time to actually think about the families that would potentially be losing someone who was in that war. It made them look at the war with a more humanistic approach and think about others before just launching into a war.

6) I think John Hunter's character is enthusiastic, caring, and creative. I think his creating this game shows how badly he wants his students to really grasp and understand what he is trying to teach them.

7) I think I would feel successful if my students learned a critical thinking skill or two while in my class. Many students are capable of just remembering facts, but actually learning how to analyze something and seeing them use that would make me feel successful.

Tech Tip and Software/Hardware Post #9

Technology Tips:

• Alt+tab- can switch between open items
• Ctrl+F- goes to edit find to find something in a document
• Ctrl+S- to save a word document 
• Ctrl+Alt+Delete- menu to close programs
• Ctrl+2- to double space in word
• Transferbigfiles.com- to send large files that may not fit in an email up to 2 gigs
• Ctrl+V- to paste
• Ctrl+C- to copy
• Ctrl+B- to bold type
• Use letters, numbers, and special characters, and capital letter for a password; change them often; don't have the same password for everything
• Ctrl+W- to close tabs
• Ctrl+Z- to undo
• Ctrl+R- right align
• Ctrl+L- left align
• Ctrl+E- center align
• Ctrl+A- select all
• Ctrl+1- single space
• Ctrl+P- prints
• Ctrl+tab- opens tabs
• Print Screen- to screen shot on a PC
• Ctrl+I- italicize

I want to learn more about Windows 8.

Weather Conditions Concept Map #8

Weather Conditions

I. Sunny

Many people like sunny weather. If it is sunny outside that means there are little or no clouds in the sky. Sunny weather is a nice time to spend time outside playing with friends and family. There are some feeling associated with sunny weather like, cheer and happiness.

A   Clear

B   Mostly Sunny

II Cloudy

If the weather is cloudy that means there are some sections of the sky that cannot be seen because it is covered by clouds. It can be partly cloudy, which is when about half the sky is covered be clouds. If it is overcast that means most or almost all of the sky is covered by clouds. Many people associate cloudy weather with sadness.

A   Partly Cloudy

     Overcast

IIRain

Rain is when droplets of water fall from the sky. There can be a rain shower, when it rains only for a brief period of time. There can be misty rain when the droplets are relatively small. There is also heavy rain when the droplets are large. If it is raining, be sure to grab a rain jacket and an umbrella to stay dry!

A    Misty

B    Heavy Rain

I  Snow

Snow is ice water that falls from the clouds in the form of flakes. There is sleet snow, which is when there is rain mixed these snow flakes that fall down. There is also heavy snow which is when four or more inches snow in a twelve hour time frame. In heavy snow, visibility is also a determining factor, if it is reduce by .31 miles, it is considered as heavy snow.

A   Sleet

B   Heavy Snow

V Severe

Sever weather can mean many things. If the weather is severe, that means there is potential for those weather conditions to cause damages to the things around it. One type of sever weather is a tornado which is when air rotates in a circle-like motion with strong, destructive winds. Tornados are classified by the strength of their winds: an F0 has winds of forty to seventy-two mph and an F6 has winds of 319 to 379 mph.  Another type of severe weather is a hurricane.  A hurricane is a tropical storm that has sustained winds of seventy-four mph. It has an eye at the center of the storm. Hurricanes are measured by categories. A category one has winds from seventy-four to ninety-five mph; while a category five has winds from 155 mph up. Typhoons are tropical storms in the Northwest Pacific Basin.

A    Tornados

1.  F 0:
Gale Tornado

2.  F 6:
Inconceivable Tornado

B    Hurricanes

1.    Category 1

2.    Category 5

C    Typhoons