Digital Blog Post # E

One of the biggest concepts I found neat in Chapter 4 was "Using Electronic Grading Software"(Maloy, et al, 2013, p. 86). When I look either online or at the syllabus, I can usually see how much what assignment weigh (i.e quizzes- 15%) and then test out the "What If " program on the Florida SouthWestern State College (FSW) canvas webpage to see what assignments and extra credit work I can do to keep my grades up or improve them. Gradekeeper and Easy Grade Pro are two programs that I never heard of unlike "Turn it in". Turn it in is a computer software that scans over written work like projects, essays, etc... and mark what parts seem to be plagiarized and where from. The Grading System is easily used in middle school and beyond, but it is very difficult to assess the same system on elementary school kids.

Another concept I found important in Chapter 7 was "Higher-order and Lower-order Thinking"(Maloy, et al, 2013, p. 163). These types of thinking comes from Bloom's Taxonomy which starts from the Lower-order to the Higher-order Thinking (Remembering, Understanding, Applying, Analyzing, Evaluating, and Creating). When teaching a math lesson on the Order of Operations (i.e Parenthesis Exponent Multiplication Division Addition Subtraction), the students are to remember the order but then apply it to other problems. With Science, teachers can teach the students about the layers in the Earth and have them remember the order (Lower-order Thinking) and then have them create the Earth and its layers to really get their creativity flowing (Higher-order Thinking). Higher-order Thinking is not necessary in all actions and events. Sometimes Lower-order Thinking is just as effective if not more.

Photo credited to Marcus Roberson through Wordle.net

The third concept I found interesting in Chapter 7 is "Virtual Worlds"(Maloy, et al, 2013, p. 173-174). Virtual World games are very popular in which real world activities are brought into a screen. "One well-known virtual world for adults is Second Life, an online subscription game played by millions of people worldwide, in which players adopt an alternative persona( or avatar) through which they live and work in a simulated world". Another well known game played by millions of kids, adolescents, and adults is Minecraft. Minecraft is a game where players can build their own dream world with wildlife, occupations, and play with other people in the same world to expand the works. Minecraft is used in many classrooms today to help kids relax and bring out their inner creativity.

Photo credit to Game N' Rock on Flikr

With these three concepts in mind, the Electronic Grading Software may not be used much by me in the elementary level, but I will incorporate Higher and Lower-order Thinking skills in creating lessons for my class and using virtual worlds like Minecraft to awaken my students to their full creative potential.



Resources;

Barrett, L. (2015, April 23). What is Minecraft - and why so many people love it (WEB310). Retrieved June 11, 2016, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O2ngnMx-r5U

 Luiz, G. (2012, September 23). Minecraft. Retrieved June 11, 2016, from https://www.flickr.com/photos/gamesnrock/8016799388/sizes/z/ 

Maloy, Robert, Verock-O’Loughlin,Ruth-Ellen, Edwards, Sharon A., and Woolf, Beverly Park (2013). Transforming Learning with New Technologies. 2nd Edition. Boston, MA: Pearson Education, Inc.

Roberson, M. (2016, June 11). Wordle [Digital image]. Retrieved June 11, 2016, from http://www.wordle.net/create