Consider how your learning has changed from your 8th grade year until now:
What have been the most important changes you have experienced?
What role has technology played in these changes?
How would you describe your learning style in English this year, and how is it different from past years/other classes?
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Learning has changed drastically from 8th grade. I used Word and such for papers, but it's not quite the same as now. Technology has opened up numerous oppurtunities. I feel like I can take control of my learning with the luxury of having a laptop to type notes, search words and concepts etc. It also makes learning more exciting with new project opportunities such as photostory. I would describe the learning style as active and self-lead. In other classes, personally it hasn't been the same. Other classes didn't provide the opportunity to take control of my own learning and actually enjoy it.
Learning has not only changed but has also become more enjoyable since 8th grade. To start I never had the opportunity to use computers at school. The fact that we have lap tops at fingers reach gives one the option to look up a concepts, key words, or even find a creative way to express themselves and the unit covered on sites such as wikispaces. However, what has changed the most has been the ability to actually want to learn. Several factors attribute to the love of learning but the most prominent is the fact that not every day we go to class the only option is to listen to a teacher lecture. In the new learning environment that Arapahoe has created the students can be learners and teachers. Class has come from beyond dull to a level of higher thinking by having a student or group of students lead a discussion rather than a teacher telling you how to interpret what was covered.
I think that one part of my learning that has changed has been the learning environment. In middle school and 8th grade, my classes were smaller, and I had known almost everyone in the room since kindergarten. I also knew the teachers well, and I felt like they really knew me as a person. This year and last year, I didn’t know many of my classmates personally and I think there is less of the feeling of family in the classes (I know that sounds a little corny). Another big change for me has been using computers and other technology for almost everything. At my middle school, we had a computer lab where we had a computer class, but we rarely used the computers for any other classes like English, Science, Math, or Spanish. We used the overhead rather than the projectors that all classes use at Arapahoe.
I would describe the learning style in English as a more creative way of learning and teaching. Using laptops and other technology, we can do things such as watch commercials online to compare rationalism and romanticism and use iPods to create class discussions and connections with music. We can read online texts and type our in-class notes as well. I think that it is different from past years in that everything is faster. We have access to information instantly with our laptops, and most of the class can type faster than they can write. However, I feel that there is often a heavier focus on technology than is needed. Oftentimes, the technology takes away from class discussion and is distracting, or projects are assigned just to show off what we can do with technology. In my 8th grade English class, I feel we had more less-formal discussions that helped me better understand the literature we were reading.
I agree with Jessie that learning has drastically changes from 8th grade. In 8th grade teachers would tell you more how to think and how to react to something rather than you forming your own opinions and conclusions. In high school you have to take control of your learning and take the initiative to be better because no one is going to force the information into your head. In high school there are so many more tool and resources available to you, like lab tops. Technology has played a huge role for me in high school because it allows for more communication between people in our school and people who we can learn from all over the world. For example, in Cultural Geography we are making a movie reaching out to teens in the Middle East asking for help to stop the violence that politicians have been trying to solve for years. With out technology we would not efficiently be able to contact people half way across the world. This year in English I really liked having our own website where we could express our ideas that are now available for the world to see. It really taught me that you have to be creative and come up with solutions of your own because solutions in life are not handed to you on a platter with an instruction set, like they sometimes are in school.
My learning has changed since 8th grade. In someways it has changed majorly, but in other ways it has not. For example, a lot more of my learning is now done online. For example, when I was in 8th grade my teachers did not have blogs to post on. I transferred to Arapahoe from another school at the beginning of this year, however that had little affect on how I learn, it has just changed the people who I am learning from.
There are things that have not changed about the way that I learn. Eighth grade is when I developed the study skills that I have now. It is when I first really started to care about my grades and what classes I was taking. Also, its when I figured out that I was a verbal learner. Since I figured out that I learn best verbally then, it has helped me. My brain thinks the same way that it did back when I was in 8th grade, it is just capable of deeper thoughts.
Learning has become more of a challenge but more enjoyable since 8th grade. I feel my learning is more indepenedent and I explore the things in which I learn. Technology motivates me to work. I love computers and get excited when I get to work with them to take notes or look somehting up, whatever the task may be, I love working with them. My learning style in English this year is hands on. I feel like its up to me to get something out of the class and to really enjoy it I have to experiment with things. It's different from past years or other classes because my teachers gave me busy work which I did not enjoy.
To be honest,
8th grade and middle school, to me, was a ridiculous attempt to force us kids to learn. I was so obsessed with grades that I would do anything in my power to keep an A; in all my classes. I couldn't tell you one thing that I learned from it. We have grown so much academically in a matter of a couple of years. We now take control of our education and we actually want to learn. English is by far my favorite class and in 8th grade my favorite class was PE. I love the depth that we can reach and how not only are we learning stuff, but we are incorporating into our lives... and that is the objective.
I know that there are still people extremely leary about letting us kids use laptops. But, laptops are only another oppurtunity to learn. We have more access to literature than we could ever imagine. Being able to have the freedom and trust put into us to use such extensive materials allows us to place that objective of wanting to learn practially in our hands. I love how open to interpretation learning is and I love how we can now make it our own... going back would be disasterous.
I feel like learning has turned more toward actually educating rather than just preparing us for CSAPS. In 8th grade, we learned to retain the information just long enough to pass the next test, then lost it all. Here in Highschool, I feel like the learning is centered around why the content is important. It's also more self-oriented and each student has to be his own motivating force to learn. Highschool is also more focused on using technology, which is a good thing because those are skills we will need in the real world. There aren't many jobs that don't require the basic use of a computer now. Using technology is an important skill to learn, and I feel Arapahoe is making more of a motion to teach those skills than at least my middle school was.
American Lit is very different from the English I am used to. This class is centered more on philosophy and critical thinking than just reading the text to understand. It's an opinion-based class, which is unique.
Since my 8th grade year, my learning has changed partly because I have matured. Some people would agree that I still have a long way to go, but I think high school has really helped me get organized, and last year with more honors classes and the added play rehearsal really helped me learn to deal with stress (thank goodness). My learning style also acquired better annotating skills. I ask smarter questions and am ready to discuss the literature (because the discussion based class is amazing, and is also an important change).
I think also that high school classes have a higher importance and seriousness in my mind than 8th grade. 8th grade for me was just kind of easy: We read the books, had a wimpy fishbowl or two, and watched the disney version of the movie. And that was honors.
Technology has definitely become more prevalent since 8th grade. We have the laptops in class, and I think that for English at least, they really work. It's easy to pull up and annotate short stories or poems, and there's always the live blogging and efficient note-taking. Yes. Technology is excellent.
I have definitely started growing my passion for learning since 8th grade. As my classes became a lot harder, I came to a realization that I had to learn just to learn and not to be graded. Technology helps my learning so much because it allows me to access all sorts of different sources, and give me a chance to expand. In English, I am definitely a hands on learner. I think I do better in group activities and having the opportunity to hear my classmates' opinions. It is a lot better than having busy work and a lot of essays and little direction.
GAH! It keeps saving my work as my Dad's, so this is Annika, by the way! So sorry about the computer malfunctions!
Since 8th grade a lot has changed in education, as well as in the world. The use of technology is a great thing. It helps out the kids that are good with it, and the kids that are not as good with it it teaches them valuable skills that will presumable be necessary for life. Learning has become a lot more fun and personal. I don't know if it's the teachers, the class sizes, the subject mater, or the way it is taught, but it seams as though more resources are available individually to students, and that is a very nice thing.
The styles of learning that I have experienced since 8th grade have drastically changed since then. In 8th grade, it was all about following a strict rubric where everything was done in black pen and cursive, and everyone's projects were exactly the same. In 9th and 10th I was exposed to a more open way of learning. The fishbowls forced me to open my mind to other's opinions that help me form my own. Also, every project was different, also allowing me to see how one subject can be portrayed and interpreted in so many ways. This year, other opinions are more valuable to me in that someone else almost always points out something that I completely overlooked or took a different way. The wikispaces in particular were valuable in that others can post suggestions. It was interesting to see how everyone else comprehended things, and then allowed us to link them all together.
My learning experience has changed dramatically since 8th grade. I really enjoy reading different books and then discussing them in class, this was somthing that I never did in middle school. From the fish bowls in class I have learned from my peers and taught myself many different things. I think that when I teach myself or when my peers teach me that I learn more than what I would from a regular lecture class. Technology has been a huge impact on my learning environment in that the internet is just a click a way. When a word is used that I don't understand or someone brings up a situation that I don't have the understanding of, I can go to Wikipedia on the spot to research the topic. I find this beneficial so that I don't have to sit in class not understanding what is being discussed and wait until I get home to figure it out. Another great tool is the live Blogger. I have found this to be extreemly important, because I tend to be a shy person and I don't always like to go into the fish bowl and discuss. If I have a question or are too shy to jump into the circle, I can blog my question and get a responce. I feel like with the technology I am becoming in charge of my learning
I think the biggest difference between now and 8th grade is that if you don't make an effort and make it your responsibility to learn, you won't. The teachers don't going to assign endless busy work to get grammar rules through your head and you don't have a study guide that spells out the answer for you. If you don't do the thinking required to understand a concept, you will drown in confusion. So to make a long explanation more *concise*, you are the only one accountable for your learning in high school.
In 8th grade, all I cared about was getting a good grade. And it seemed to me that, that was all my teacher cared about too. Regardless of the fact that I read quite a few books, I did not enjoy them. After 8th grade, I felt like i was actually learning something new. High school was a challenging transition. Even though my grades dropped drastically, I believe that my ability to analyze and interpret increased exponentially.
Technology has been very helpful in my learning process. The search engines like google and wikepedia are always good resources. The fact that we get to use laptops in class is very helpful too. That way we can take more notes in more efficient way.
My learning has changed in a huge way from 8th grade to now. In english in middle school we were forced to write about one topic and one topic only and like Devon said the teachers would give us a ton of guidance and almost tell us what to think. High school english varies quite differently because we are just given a blank peice of paper and a pencil or in the technology world a blank word document. In high school, teachers have given us a little guidance on the topic but left the rest up to us. By this, I have learned to become a more independant thinker and a more independant student in general. We are given the opportunity to take control of our learning and not only how we learn but how to apply it. Also I have noticed that I enjoy my classes and learning more now because we are gived more freedom and opportunities and responsiblities as a student. Being able to have the wonderful technology and laptops that we have today has also contributed to the more freedom and responsibilities we as students have. Having laptops has opened up so many more doors in my learning and writing because it is basically unlimited resources.
I am amazed at how much more advanced my learning abilities have become. I agree with Brynn, I think it is because classes have been more enjoyable with teachers who love what they do and are always thinking outside the box.
Also, technology has made a huge impact. I like working with computers, and creating things that would be impossible with just a pencil and paper. I love the idea of sharing what we've learned with the world.
In middle school, English was not as deep and was just an easy class I could soar through without really thinking. But both Kakos and Smith have taught me that school isn't about the grade, it's about actual learning so we can be prepared for the ever changing world ahead of us.
The most important changes I have experienced from my 8th grade until now was the increasing challenges in my honors classes and the changes in my schedule that allows me to have free time to study and hangout with my friends in a safe environment. Technology has played a major role because it allowed me easier access to more resources that help me confront and complete the challenges in my honors classes. My learning style in English this year is more studying and more hands on forcing me to be really detailed in my work. Which is different from other year’s because I used to never study and just winged it.
The most important changes I have experienced is being able to take learning into my own hands. I have been able to learn a ton more then I would have because I am able to learn on my own.
Technology has played a part in this because it makes it easy to research topics. Also if I am in class and a word comes up that I don’t know, I am able to just quickly look up what it means.
My learning style in English is different because a lot of what I learn in independent. Also I am more creative with everything I do. It is different from previous years because I relied on teachers for the information. I also relied on them for outlines for projects instead of creating my own.
My technique of learning from 8th grade to now has changed quite a bit. It has become much less complicated to complete assignments all due to the advances in technology. In 8th grade all I used the computor for was typing up papers or doing mild research for projects. Now my materials for learning aren't as broad as they used to be. Instead of refering to text books and trying to figure out which articles seemed good for a paper, I now can find information that is more than satisfactory. Another bit of technology that has really changed my learning is a jump drive. I can keep everything from pictures to articles to notes all in one place and it is easy to access. Now I can get my homework done in half the time that it took me in 8th grade. My style of learning this year differs from other years because now I have the confidance to take charge of the way I keep the material I learn organized. Like my notes, before I had to keep my notes the way that the teacher liked them, and now I can keep them my way. Thanks to technology my learning has become quick and painless.
My learning has definitely changed immense amounts from 8th grade. Well an obvious way has been the laptops, but especially the ways we use them are just so much more beneficial. All of the blogging has really helped see different views and help me look at topics from an opposite position. Another big change has been the fishbowl discussions and being able to ask questions and offer ideas and debate within our own class. In 8th grade the teacher would just lecture and the only thought or reflection of the information would be our own written papers or just in our head. Specifically in English, fishbowls have been really productive especially for clarifying literature and discussing deeper meanings.
I think that the most important change in my learning now from when I was in 8th grade is really just the freedom. I am able to express my own thoughts, write however I want, and actually learn what I want. 8th grade was all about preparing for high school, at least talk about preparing for high school. We didn’t actually learn anything that I thought was valuable. Now, I am a lot more interested during class because it is expected of me. I am expected to form questions, ideas, and opinions about anything we read or learned. Technology has been a huge part of this change in learning because it is plainly freedom; I have the freedom to learn what I want and participate how I want and therefore figuring out what works and what doesn’t.
My learning has changed so much since middle school. Last year on the first day of school Smith gave us a writing prompt. It was to write about something that's important about our school and that was all the information she gave us. Every single student in our class just sat there with confused look on their face. Someone raised there hand and said what kind of thing? What kind of paragraph? What do we do? Smith simply said it's up to you to decide! And, of course, all of our papers were awful because no one knew how to come up with their own ideas. The biggest change from middle school was that an actual thought process was required to achieve what we wanted. In high school it seems to be that you won't learn if you don't want to learn. You have to take responsibility and put an effort into taking learning into your own hands.
Technology has had such a huge impact on my learning simply because we are able to do things that we weren't able to do before. The internet holds unlimited possibilities for what we are capable of doing in class.
This year english seems to be much more discussion based. It's not as much projects and papers, but analytical thinking and sharing our thoughts with others. This helps with not only greater understanding of the topic, but to view other points of view on the subject.
Technology has changed everything because it allows us to quickly find a vast plethora of information. This therefore allows students to better equip themselves for the war that is learning and homework. Personally it has opened a world of new words for me to use when one I know doesn’t sound right. In my other English classes I coasted through unless something really interested me, but now since I don’t need an eraser and I have spell check on the computer, this presents me with more time to enjoy myself.
My learning has changed significantly since my 8th grade year. Some of the most important changes I have experienced have been that I am now treated like an adult. I now have some rights, as far as learning goes, and am seen as an adult and not just a pre-teen going through puberty. It’s really changed how I see and appreciate school and the staff. One of the things is that English is nicer and more efficient because we have the laptops and not only that, but it makes it more fun. But the technology hasn’t really been the whole thing of English, I also like the discussions. Now that we have gone through a little bit more of our lives and have seen a lot more, we now know a lot more and most of us know how to handle ourselves. I have come a long way from 8th grade and I’m really glad. I’m looking forward to this next semester!
Learning has changed so much from 8th grade. Itbecame somthig that is no longer a pass time but an actual job, that your future itself relies upon.
Middle school is similar to a practic experiance, Highschool is the real deal.
Laptops have imporoved work ethic and give more freedom/responsiblity to the user, they have greatly inhanced my learning skills. More doors have been opened
------Carley
I haven't posted on this yet, so I will now.
1. Learning really hasn't changed too much for me. I still have to go to different classes. I still have to do assignments I dont want to do. I still have no opportunity to learn about what is relevant.
2. Only two classes I have use laptops. I'm not sure that it even mattered getting them, as it's not a more efficient use of time, and it's mostly a hassle to use them. It's cool and all, but its mostly a distraction.
3. I still try and instigate discussion, and I still get nowhere. Theres always something more 'important' to do.
So...
I guess not too much at all. But now we have laptops to type on, where people can fake their true intentions and falsify participation.
What have been the most important changes you have experienced? What role has technology played in these changes?
The structure of my classes in middle school are drastically different from my high school classes. Our classes were smaller, which I liked because I felt more comfortable. But, many were lecture based. We didn’t get to put much input in. I think that technology has really improved my learning. Although a little distracting at first, I found laptops very useful to my learning. It makes it easier to take notes and be organized. My hand gets tired easily and being able to type up notes makes it so much easier and neater. It also opens up new opportunities for teaching the subject. (You can use blog, check information on the internet, etc.) I also like the overhead projectors which give slide shows. It is so much easier to read and it can display pictures or diagrams as well. Technology will keep continuing to change. Hopefully, it will continue to be used in the classes because I find it very useful to learning.
Learning has changed alot since the eigth grade. We now have access to laptops computers which we can use as portkeys to the world. An infinate amount of knowledge is only a ketstroke away. I can now choose what i want to study in depth, and what i don't. I like how Mrs. Kakos's teaches, yet i fear that i will not study and kind of literature beyond what is required of me in college. Laptops make this class fun, while learning, it provides different perspectives with different reasons.
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