Entry 8: Black Ants and Buddhist Chapter 6

In this article, I enjoyed reading something about teaching young students the morals of being a good citizen. Instead of teaching to the test, there are techniques that you can involve teaching in a manner of ways that can contribute to the students life. I enjoyed reading about voting and how important it is to vote. I also enjoyed reading about how important it is to recycle and coming up with engaging ways to express how vital it is to recycle. I think it is important to integrate these topics by having students write persuasive letter writings, poster boards, petition writing, etc. Having the students involved in how to change things around the school for example is a perfect example of being a concerned citizen who wants the best for everybody.

                In my classroom I think I would incorporate a topic twice a week about certain situations going on in the children’s lives. I want to have a topic of course that they can relate to and letting them have a voice. Most importantly I want my students to learn how to make the world a better place. There’s no need for violent protest, angry language or arguments. There are ways we can voice what we have to through peaceful movements. I would also love to play this video for my students, just to give them ideas on what we can talk about as well.

"I choose to teach critically because I believe young children are capable of amazing things, far more than is usually expected of them. I am not talking about raising scores on standardized math tests (although that often happens). I am talking about thinking critically and learning to learn, learning to use basic skills like reading, writing, solving mathematical problems, analyzing data, public speaking, scientific observation, and inquiry as an active citizen in your community. I believe young children can think about fairness and are deeply moved and highly motivated by the recognition of injustice"

Entry 7: Walking and Talking Geography

                                                                   Drawn by Me (:

After reading this article on Walking and Talking Geography, I realized it is important for students to become familiarized with the things around them. Not only is it the thing’s around them, but it is what is around them EVERY single day. A student understanding their community is crucial and plays a bigger factor in their life then they may know. Student’s even get to know a little bit about their friends when they explain the community they live in to one another. Grocery stores, banks, gas stations, parks, houses, stores, etc. All of these things play a major factor in everyone’s life.

                If I were to do this in my classroom, I would have my students draw out a map of the things around their neighborhood. I would love for the students to draw it on their desk with an expo marker and give everyone a toy hot wheel. The hot wheel can demonstrate and create a visual map in their head of the things they see when they are sitting in their own car. The students are to label where the nearest grocery store, bank, library, clothing store or school/park is. I want them to then generate ideas on why those things are so important to their everyday life. Such as “where do we get our food from?” or “where can we go if we want to play on the swings or slides?”. "How does it sound here?" or "Do adults or children use this place?" This gets the students to think about all the important places near them and why they play such a huge factor in everyone’s life.

"Such stories motivate children to explore their local environment and raise awareness of the physical and human characteristics that make up their world, precisely what is overlooked by outside-in approaches to teaching and learning geography."