Scratch Assignment

My Scratch Project 

Scratch promotes 21st century ideas because it allows students to think creatively and problem-solve in a ways that interests them. "Empowering Kids to Create and Share Programmable Media" explains, "People interact with Web-based animations and games all the time, but few people can create and share their own interactive content." This is so true. Although many people use different types of media, not many know how to create it. Students will be intrigued by not only making their own media project, but sharing it with others.

Scratch could easily be incorporated in the class room as a take home activity or even an in class activity during computer time. This meets the ISTE NET Standard 1a which states, "promote, support, and model creative and innovative thinking and inventiveness." Scratch allows students to think creatively but encourages them to learn by trial and error in a way that they enjoy. Since Scratch is an online program, it automatically attracts today's students, and it challenges students in the creation of their Scratch.

While perusing Scratch, I discovered this English Project on the Odyssey. This student was assign a Scratch project and she made a game based on her reading of the Odyssey.

Content Standard Ojectives for a tenth grade WV English Language Arts class:

RLA.S.10.1Reading


Students will apply reading skills and strategies to inform, to perform a task and to read for literacy experience by

• identifying and using grade appropriate essential reading components (phonemic awareness, -phonics, vocabulary, fluency, comprehension, written application) and
• selecting a wide variety of literature and diverse media to develop independence as readers.

This Standard in Reading is accomplished through Scratch by the example above of the English Project. Reading a work of literature out loud in class completes the first point, but Scratch is a great way to allow literature to be translated and developed in a new and independent, creative way by students. 

Multiple Intelligence

Picasso Head inspired by the Multiple Intelligence quiz.

My scores for Multiple Intelligence were (1) Kinesthetic Learning, (2) Intrapersonal Learning, and (3) Interpersonal Learning. Kinesthetic deals with body and movement  Intrapersonal deals with self, and Interpersonal deals with people. This Picasso Head is inspired by those three aspects of my Multiple Intelligence.

Learning styles are important to be aware of as a teacher, but they shouldn't be controlling the classroom. In an article entitled "Learning Styles," Don Clark, the author, explains, "Thus, learning styles are not really concerned with what learners learn, but rather how they prefer to learn (Clark, 2000)." Yes it is true that different students prefer to learn different ways, but it is also true that you can't change the content of the information you are teaching to best cater to the audience. For example, you cannot visually teach a student how to pronounce a French word, that is an audible lesson. I do firmly believe that as a teacher, I should be as creative as possible in how I present lessons and information, but that does not necessarily mean that every student will be taught the way that is easiest and most comfortable for them to learn. 

David Glenn, author of "Matching Teaching Style to Learning Style Might Not Work" highlights an interesting point, "Instead, teachers should worry about matching their instruction to the content they are teaching (Glenn, 2009)." Teachers should be more focused on how to present the information the best way possible, that way every learning style will be able to grasp and understand the material. As a future teacher, I want to do just that. I want to be able to stimulate every type of learning style by presenting the information the best way for the information's sake. For example, if  I am teaching new vocabulary words, I need to audibly tell my students how to pronounce the words. I can do this multiple ways, and still be creative in my teaching. 

My Multiple Intelligence, as previously stated, were (1) Kinesthetic Learning, (2) Intrapersonal Learning, and (3) Interpersonal Learning. Upon research I discovered ways in which students like me would connect to information well and retain it. Kinesthetic is very hands-on and active. In this article, Kelly O'Connor explains that kinesthetic learners should use all five senses. She suggests that games are great tools to stimulate kinesthetic learners. Online gaming could therefore be used not only as a fun use of technology but also a way to engage students (O'Connor, 2013). Steve Johnson explains different ways to use technology for different types of Multiple Intelligence. For Bodily-Kinesthetic Johnson suggests skype, schooltube, and American Sign Language Vocab which is described as "video illustrations of many words and phrases (Johnson, 2011)."  The suggestions for Intrapersonal Intelligence include blogging, screen recording, and podcasting. Interpersonal Intelligence would benefit from collaborative white boards such as Scribblar, Dimdim, and Flockdraw, along with Epals and Ning. 

References 

Clark, D. (2000, May 29). Learning styles and preferences . Retrieved from http://nwlink.com/~donclark/hrd/styles.html

Glenn, D. (2009, December 15). Matching teaching style to learning style may not help students. Retrieved from http://chronicle.com/article/Matching-Teaching-Style-to-/49497/

Johnson, S. (2011, March 31). Bodily-Kinesthetic intelligence . Retrieved from https://sites.google.com/site/techwithmi/bodily-kinesthetic-intelligence

Johnson, S. (2011, March 31). Intrapersonal intelligence . Retrieved from https://sites.google.com/site/techwithmi/intrapersonal-intelligence

Johnson, S. (2011, March 31). Interpersonal intelligence . Retrieved from https://sites.google.com/site/techwithmi/interpersonal-intelligence

O'Connor, K. (2013, March 1). Kinesthetic learners. Retrieved from http://www.studyguidezone.com/kinestheticlearners.htm

Learning Styles

Learning Styles Don't Exist
Daniel Willingham 

Thoughts and Observations:

Types of Learners
1. Visual
2. Auditory
3. Kinestetic 

• Most teachers want students to learn meaning rather than visually, auditory, and kinesteticly. 

• The question determines the way in which the information is learned.

• Good teaching is good teaching, and teachers don't need to adjust teaching to specific learning styles. 

• There should be a variety of presentation of styles because of the questions that are being asked.

The Multiple Intelligence Theory
Howard Gardner

Thoughts and Observations:

Students have different strengths in the area of intelligence. 
Therefore, treating all students the same is not fair. 

Everything can be taught in more than one way. 
Are we reaching every child? Are there other ways to present information? 

Since students learn differently, students should also have the opportunity to be tested differently. 



How is the Multiple Intelligence Theory different from the Theory of Learning Styles?

The Theory of Learning styles focuses on how students prefer to concentrate and retain information while Multiple Intelligence Theory focuses on understanding, defining, and assessing unique intelligence factors. Multiple Intelligence promotes the idea of different ways to learn therefore there show be multiple ways present and tested. Learning Styles also agrees that there should be multiple ways being presented but that "good teaching is good teaching." 

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