Reaction-Reflection

Reaction-Reflection

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 * **Link:** Arthur Benjamin's Formula for Changing Mathematics
 * **Summary:** Arthur Benjamin discusses how to change our math curriculum. He suggests that we change from the goal for high school seniors to finish Calculus to Statistics and Probability. Statistics in his mind is something that all student should know and would use in their daily lives. Calculus is still a subject that he feels should be taught but that maybe only to those going into fields where they will use it. Arthur says that it is time for our Math curriculum to shift to the digital age just as everything else has done.
 * **Reflection:** This video made some very interesting points that I have never thought about before. Switching from Calculus to Statistics as the overall goal for students to reach by the time they graduate high school makes perfect sense when you stop to think about it. When are you ever going to use Calculus unless you are an engineer, economist, or studying math or science. However, there are many different ways that a student would be able to use Statistics and probability.

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 * **Summary:** In this video Robinson speaks out on creativity in schools. He focuses on how important creativity is and how schools today are killing it. He says that creativity is as important as literacy. In the video Robinson expresses his feelings toward schools today saying that they are educating students out a creativity. Robinson also looks at how schools in the age of assessments is focused only on the right answers and making mistakes is wrong.
 * **Reflection**: WOW! This video answers so many questions on what is wrong in education and yet offers one simple way to fix it. It's true what Robinson says about schools focusing on the mistakes students and not enough on creativity. There are so many people out there that have had success because of the mistakes or failures that they have made. The video I have added below show this perfectly. I would have to agree with Robinson and say that schools are killing creativity. In the age of assessment I don't see things getting any better either. Unfortunately the majority of people making decisions about our education in this country have nothing to do with education at all. We need business men and women to work with administrators and figure out what our students really need to learn to be ready for the real world. My guess is that imagination and creativity would be on the top of the list.

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 * **Summary:** This article is about using Web 2.0 to get students excited about reading. The author tries to make the point that reading, although it is often times seen as a solitary activity, is really a social activity. In this article there are many suggestions as to how you can integrate Web 2.0 into your reading block and get students interested in not only reading books but blogs and reviews as well. There are 15 different ideas on what Web 2.0 can do for reading.
 * **Reflection:** The most intriguing idea for me was using the web for students to collaborate about a book title as a class. You could have them share ideas and thoughts about a novel you want them to read or even a textbook piece. I also liked the idea of using a wiki space to hold book reviews from students. Allowing students to read their own peers thoughts on a book is one of the best ways to promote reading in the classroom. If we can get students reading books or articles because of a review they have read from one of their friends who read it I think that is by far the best way to build life long readers. Another benefit to having a classroom book blogs or reviews is that is allows an easy way for students to discuss what they have read. It allows them to think about each other’s thoughts as well as their own. I really enjoyed reading this article and will probably use one or more of the ideas for promoting reading using Web 2.0.